On Saturday, March 22, 2024, in Morocco, Nigeria, the runners-up in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), defeated Ghana 2-1 in an international friendly.
Ademola Lookman of Atalanta and Cyriel Dessers of Rangers scored goals in each half to defeat the 10-man Black Stars, who had defender Jerome Opoku sent off early in the second half.
The Super Eagles were the more dominant team for the majority of the match in front of a nearly empty Stade de Marrakech in Morocco; nevertheless, after Jordan Ayew converted a stoppage-time penalty, the game concluded with far more uncertainty than coach Finidi George would have preferred.
With a strong half-volley and a tease that created confusion in the Ghana penalty area, Kelechi Iheanacho forced a fine stop from Lawrence Ati-Zigi and nearly opened the scoring.
Dessers gave Nigeria a well-deserved lead from the penalty spot with seven minutes remaining in the first half, following Salis Abdul Samed’s dismissal for using his arm to block a shot.
Ghana had a good start to the second half until Antoine Semenyo of Bournemouth blasted a shot over the bar after a brief break. Opoku’s straight red card left the few spectators inside the stadium perplexed and limited any chance of a comeback. The Belgian team, OH Leuven, where the defender was on loan from Leicester City, appeared to be confused over whether he was sent off for speaking to the referee or for raising his elbow during an aerial challenge.
In their first game under new manager Otto Addo, Ghana rallied well. Tariq Lamptey, a substitute, went close with a curling effort from the edge of the box, but Lookman’s finish from inside the box in the 84th minute effectively ended the game after excellent work from the impressive Alex Iwobi.
However, there were going to be some nerve-wracking moments for the Super Eagles in the end. Nwabali had to come into play once more in the closing seconds to maintain the slim lead, but Ayew struck a penalty of his own with confidence in the fifth minute of extra time.
Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualification campaign kicks off again in June with a match against South Africa. They’ll play Mali in another friendly next Tuesday. In that qualification round, Ghana’s next opponent is Mali, with an exhibition match against Uganda scheduled for later this month.
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