March, 16 2022.
By Wale Ajayi.
Contrary to widespread speculations that the March 25 World Cup qualifying playoff between the Black stars of Ghana and the Super Eagles of Nigeria will be moved from the Cape Coast Stadium in Ghana to Cotonou the capital of Benin Republic, NSM Media can report authoritatively, that the match will now take place at the popular Baba Yara Sports stadium in Kumasi, Ghana
A CAF inspection team inspected facilities at the Cape Coast stadium and later visited the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi. The team was totally dissatisfied with the playing pitch at the Cape Coast stadium and decided that there was urgent need for a change of venue.
That was why they embarked on an inspection tour of the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi which has now been approved by CAF and has also recieved the blessing of the Nigeria football federation, NFF.
In a telephone conversation with a top official of the Nigeria football federation, he told this reporter that the match with Ghana willl now be played in Kumasi. According to him, all the NFF wanted is a good playing pitch that will allow our legion of foreign based proffessionals an opportunity to really give their optimum.
'We know that we have better players who, on a good day will beat this Ghanaian team silly even on home soil. That explains why they wanted to take us to the very bad Cape Coast pitch which CAF described as totally unplayable. We have agreed to go to Kumasi on March 25th and hopefully, we will come back with the three points from that game".
"Beyond the football on the field of play, Nigeria and Ghana are brothers. We have maintained a very cordial relationship over the years and we will not want to stain this friendship because of football. It will be unfair for them to begin to imagine that Nigeria is using her influence in CAF and FIFA to get decisions in their favour".
"Every CAF or FIFA representative must fight for the common interests of member nations and not promote personal agendas at the detriment of other countries" he concluded.
The Super Eagles will depart Nigeria in a chartered flight on Wednesday next week for Kumasi venue of the match and will return sameday to Abuja for the return leg billed for the Moshood Abiola stadium Abuja, on March 29.