WCQ 2022: Ghana must go – Ighalo, Osimhen boast

Super Eagles striking duo of Odion Ighalo and Victor Osimhen has yet again called on their teammates to shoot down the Black Stars of Ghana in today’s decisive Qatar 2022 World Cup play-off second leg tie at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.

Admittedly the tie is delicately balanced after both sides played out an energy-sapping goalless draw last Friday at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi but the two strikers said the Super Eagles would be hard as nail to edge out the adventurous Black Stars .

“I’ve tried to talk to the younger guys (about the joy of playing at the World Cup), that have not been there before that this is an opportunity for us to go to Qatar 2022,” the Al Hilal forward who star for Nigeria at Russia 2018 told NFFTv. “I have been there before and I know what it means to be at the World Cup and by God’s grace, I would be happy to go to another one again.”

Napoli forward, Osimhen whose 10 goals guided Nigeria to her record fifth FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2015, equally quipped about Qatar 2022 dreams: “Going to the World Cup means a lot to mean and not only me but the whole team. We know it won’t be easy because like I always say, no game is easy in Africa because it’s very physical. Of course, to get the World Cup ticket, it would mean a lot to this team.”

Yet the two would further agreed that ‘when the going gets tough , the tough get ready’ as the Super Eagles would pressed all advantages to make a record seventh World Cup appearance,

“We are going to go with our 12th man on the pitch and that is the fans; we have a great chance to get the World Cup ticket.,” noted the 23-year-old Osimhen. “We have to respect the Ghanaians because they too have some quality players.

“But we are ready and we have a lot of individual quality players that can win matches for us.”

The 32-year-old Ighalo was even more forthcoming: “ It’s home advantage for us but we are not going to sleep because it’s going to be a tough game

“Ghana would come out strongly against us because they have nothing to lose. We just have to give 110 percent and take our chances ; fight from start to finish .I know we are going to come out victorious by the grace of God but we have to work for it.”