Black Princesses plot Nigeria's defeat for gold

Ghana and Nigeria lock horns this evening at the Cape Coast Stadium for the gold medal and a piece of sporting history in the women’s football competition of the African Games. 

Ghana's Yusif Basigi will aim to become the first coach to lead two women's teams to win gold at the African Games, having guided the Black Queens to win the competition in 2015 when it was held in Brazzaville.

For the Black Princesses, they seek to add the gold medal to their collection after their bronze-medal feat at the 2007 Games in Algiers.

However, defending champions Nigeria, who have a rich pedigree in world football, are keen on becoming the first country to win back-to-back gold in women’s football.

The statistics of Ghana versus Nigeria clashes in women’s football put Nigeria on top, but this is the first time they are clashing at the African Games level and the stakes are very high today. 

Route to final

En route to the final, Ghana beat Ethiopia (1-0) and Tanzania (2-1) and drew 1-1 against Uganda to top Group A, followed it up with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in the semi-finals last Monday.

Nigeria, on the other hand, beat Senegal (4-0) and Morocco (2-0) to advance from Group B as winners and then eliminated Uganda 2-0 in their semis.

Tonight these statistics may not count much as coaches Basigi and his Nigerian counterpart, Christopher Musa Danjuma, plot their strategies for victory.

Although the Princesses have scored in each of the games played, they have been equally wasteful in their opponents’ goal area and will need to be more clinical if they are to achieve their aim.

Also, they will have to concentrate on the entire duration of the match given that the Nigerians will pile the pressure to get what they want.

In their previous games, the Princesses have conceded in each game except the opening against Ethiopia and must have a tighter defence against a more clinical Falconets.

On the other hand, they can also exploit the weakness in the Nigerians’ defence to their advantage.

Against Senegal, Coach Basigi deployed an attacking trio of Tracy Twum, Ophelia Amponsah and Mukarama Abdulai in a manner that made them create more chances scoring three goals.

He has promised that they will be better and give their all in this final game as there will be no second chance.

“We are keen to accomplish the mission we set for ourselves to win gold on home soil.

This is the final hurdle and we will give it our best shot,” he promised. 

From their training sessions, he is not likely to change the starting line-up that was named in the Senegal game.

Before the final game, Senegal and Uganda will slug it out for the bronze medal.