OFFICIAL: Super Eagles, Black Stars get new dates for World Cup playoff

Samuel Ayodeji

Perennial rivals, Nigeria and Ghana now have new dates for their eagerly anticipated two-legged 2022 World Cup play-off duel.

The two matches to decide which of the two countries would pick one of Africa’s five tickets to the World Cup in Qatar was originally scheduled for Thursday, March 24 and Sunday, March 27.

However, it has now been moved to Friday, March 25 and Tuesday, March 29.

Monday’s news should be a big relief for both sides whose squad are dominated by players plying their trade in Europe with some of the top clubs in the world.

With these players playing for their clubs at the weekend, the initial arrangement would have afforded them just two or three days of training before playing in the first leg of the two matches.

But with the change in dates, the teams will have one more day of training before the first leg while extending the training day for the second leg by another day.

The Black Stars will first host the Super Eagles in Cape Coast before travelling to the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja for the second leg.

The winner of the two-legged game qualifies for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.

The Black Stars are hoping to make a return to the Mundial after missing the 2018 edition in Russia.

As for the Super Eagles, they are eyeing a seventh World Cup appearance having made it to all but one of the past editions since their debut at USA 1994.

Full details of the changes are below: 

Match: FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play offs – Ghana vs. Nigeria (First Leg)

Date: Friday, March 25, 2022

Venue: Cape Coast stadium

Kick-off: 7:30 Local Time

Match; FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 playoffs – Nigeria vs. Ghana (Second Leg)

Date; Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Venue: Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja

Kick-off: 6.00 pm Local Time