The Super Eagles of Nigeria have defeated the Black Stars of Ghana 2-1 in an international friendly played in Morocco.

Cyril Dessers and Ademola Lookman were the two goalscorers for Nigeria as Jordan Ayew pulled a goal back for the Black Stars in stoppage time.

Dessers opened scoring in the 37 minutes through a penalty kick after Kelechi Iheanacho’s shot was handled inside the box by a Ghanaian player.

Lookman, Dessers on Target as Nigeria Defeat Ghana 2-1 in Friendly
Politics & Governance · Lookman, Dessers on Target as Nigeria Defeat Ghana 2-1 in Friendly

Lookman’s secured a fantastic goal after converting an excellent assist from Alex Iwobi.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s captain Jordan Ayew scored a goal from the penalty spot in stoppage time, reducing the deficit to one.

This was after Bright Osayi-Samuel fouled Antoine Semenyo inside the box on his way to the goal.

From the 56th minute, Ghana was forced to play a man short after Opoku was sent off.

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali pulled off a couple of saves particularly in the second half as the Black Stars chased the game.

The Eagles led by Finidi played a decent direct football, while Ghana under new coach Otto Addo maintained their passing game.

Both teams were weakened by the absence of their top stars – Victor Osimhen for Nigeria, and Mohammed Kudus and Thomas Partey.

In a rather dramatic scene, Finidi left out the 2023 AFCON stars Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon, instead opting for Tanzania-based defender Benjamin Tanimu to make his full international debut.

Tanimu acquitted himself fairly, but the game’s pace will force him out late on.

On Tuesday, Nigeria will play a second friendly against Mali also at the same Grande Stade de Marrakesh in Morocco.

(Vanguard News)

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Editorial Opinion

Super Eagles goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali pulled off a couple of saves particularly in the second half as the Black Stars chased the game. The Eagles led by Finidi played a decent direct football, while Ghana under new coach Otto Addo maintained their passing game.

— goodeveningnigeria.com Editorial Team
Chinyere Okonkwo
Author
Chinyere Okonkwo is a political reporter covering Nigerian federal and state governance, elections, and the activities of the National Assembly. Based in Abuja, she tracks policy developments, political party dynamics, and the work of oversight institutions such as EFCC and INEC.

Chinyere has covered three general election cycles and reported on constitutional reform debates, security legislation, and the governance challenges facing Nigeria's 36 states. She holds a degree in political science from Ahmadu Bello University.