2022 World Cup playoff: Ghana legends differ on Eagles, Black Stars chances
While Polo believes the Black Stars have a slim chance of beating Nigeria, Agyemang-Badu believes playing the first leg in Kumasi will give Black Stars the edge over Nigeria
Ghana football legends Mohammed Polo and Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu are divided over the chances of the Super Eagles and the Black Stars of Ghana in the must-win Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier slated for March 25 and March 29 in Kumasi and Abuja.
While Polo believes the Black Stars have a slim chance of beating Nigeria, Agyemang-Badu believes playing the first leg in Kumasi will give Black Stars the edge over Nigeria.
Polo, the 1978 Africa Cup of Nations winner, doesn’t seem confident and has criticized the Ghana Football Association's decision not to release the Black Stars squad for the tie.
“Ghana's chances of qualifying for the World Cup is very slim but we are praying the team can win in the first leg to raise the morale before the second leg,” Polo told Bryt FM.
“It is unfortunate, we don’t know what is happening in the national team. It is very worrying that the squad is not out until now, we have a few days to play the game and we still don’t know the players to do the job.
“The only thing Otto Addo and other technical team members must do is to psych the players because it is not easy for us to beat Nigeria.
“Even against South Africa, the team struggled, and it took [Andre] Ayew’s penalty for us to beat them.”
Nigeria are slight favourites, given they performed better than Ghana at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon earlier this year.
The Super Eagles reached the round of 16 after topping their group with three wins out of three, beating the likes of Egypt, compared to Ghana who suffered a shock first-round exit.
Black Stars lost to Morocco and minnows Comoros while securing a point with Gabon as they finished bottom of their group with one point.
But former Ghana midfielder, Agyemang-Badu, said that the change of venue for the first leg from Cape Coast to Kumasi will favour Ghana.
The venue was changed after the Confederation of African Football rejected the original choice for not meeting the standards.
“Playing matches in Kumasi are so special. Personally, I love playing there and I hope our guys will be very ready for the game against Nigeria.
“I want to be in Qatar. Even if I am not in the team, I would want to watch the World Cup in Qatar, so I want my country to beat Nigeria and qualify.
“The Black Stars players don’t need any motivation from anyone to play and win against Nigeria. I think the game is big enough for the boys to motivate themselves and win to make Ghanaians proud,” Badu told Oyerepa FM.
