Ghana-Nigeria football rivalry
| |
Teams |
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---|---|
First meeting |
Ghana 1–0 Nigeria Friendly Accra (16 October 1950) |
Latest meeting |
Ghana 0–0 Nigeria Friendly Vicarage Road in Watford, Hertfordshire, England (11 October 2011) |
Next meeting | TBD |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 56 |
Largest victory |
Ghana 7–0 Nigeria Jalco Cup Accra (1 June 1955) |
The Ghana–Nigeria football rivalry is a highly competitive sports rivalry that exists between the national football teams of the two countries, as well as their respective sets of fans. The match-up is among the oldest an most proliferate rivalries in African football and has been played since prior to both countries' respective independence. The football rivalry reflects the long-standing socio-economic rivalry between the two nations which are the two of only four Anglophone nations in West Africa and are home to the largest populations in the region.[1] [2]
Origin and background
FIFA lists the first official match between the two as a World Cup qualifier match which took place in 1960. However both national teams had already engaged in numerous domestic friendlies and tournaments between themselves and other nations dating back to 1950.[3] The national teams of these two West African countries were formed while both were still protectorates of the British Empire. At that time the modern day nation of Ghana was known as the Gold Coast and Nigeria, prior to adopting their national colors of green and white, wore scarlet tops over white shorts and were known as the "Red Devils". [4]
Prior to what is often considered to be first official International "A" match in 1951 the Gold Coast national team had already toured England, playing friendly matches against various clubs. Not to be outdone, Nigeria followed suit to a lesser degree of success. Gold Coast's footballing federation, having been founded in 1920, was over twenty years older than Nigeria's and it's team was more respected among Britain's colonies. However, despite their relative histories, Nigeria was able to upset their nascent rivals 5-0 on home soil. The two nations played to relative parity for much of the rest of the decade, mostly trading victories on home soil, but Ghana would go on to dominate much of the competition between the 1960s and the early 2000s and win the Africa Cup of Nations four times to Nigeria's two in that time period; while Nigeria would enjoy more success in intercontinental competition, qualifying multiple times to the FIFA World Cup and reaching an African highest FIFA ranking of #5 in the world. The team further distinguished themselves with memorable runs to the knockout stages in 1994 and 1998, beating Spain and coming within minutes of defeating international powerhouses Argentina and eventual 1994 finalists Italy.
Regional Cup Era
Until 1960 Egypt was the only African nation to ever participate in FIFA World Cup qualifying. Since decolonization had yet to begun in earnest, few nations on the African continent were able to assemble national teams that were internationally recognized and thus eligible for FIFA competitions. Due to this, various rivalry cups and tournaments were instituted. During the 1950s and 1960s, Nigeria and Ghana would compete in three cup competitions.
- *Results of final Kwame Nkrumah Gold Cup tournament are unknown. It is unconfirmed whether or not the tournament was abandoned.
Regional and International Cup Titles | Ghana | Nigeria |
---|---|---|
Africa Cup of Nations 1962-Present Biennial CAF Confederation championship | 4 | 3 |
Jalco Cup 1951-1959 | 4 | 5 |
Dr Kwame Nkrumah Gold Cup* West African Soccer Federation championship | 3 | 0 |
Azikiwe Cup 1961-1967* | 5 | 0 |
Total | 16 | 8 |
1951-59 Jalco Cup
Prior to 1951, there are various records of matches having been played between the national teams dating back to 1938. These unofficial matches list the scores and winners but, as with the match in 1938, specific details such as player lineups and often even the exact date that the match took place, are unknown. The Jalco Cup matches, which were sponsored by Nigerian Company Joe Allen & Co, are widely agreed upon as the beginning of the historical record of the rivalry. [5] The cup was contested between the two countries every year except 1952.
1959-67 Nkrumah Gold Cup
![](../I/m/Postage_Stamp_-_Dr._Kwame_Nkrumah_Gold_Cup_-_1959.jpg)
After Ghanain independence the country's football officials harbored ambitions of competing in the Olympic Games. To this end they met with officials from the most prominent West African nations, including Nigeria, to create the West African Soccer Federation. The aim of the new federation was to sponsor a regional football tournament which would help to raise the level of the game in the respective nations for future participation in international tournaments. The result was the Dr Kwame Nkrumah Gold Cup, also called the West African Soccer Federation championship.
The tournament had middling success; it was plagued from the outset by organizational and funding shortfalls. In the initial tournament in 1959, the qualifying stages were only partially completed. In addition, Nigeria did not appear for the semifinal of that tournament and the match had to be replaced with an exhibition game played as a stand-in. Also the fourth and final tournament in 1967 was postponed following issues having to do with the lack of lighting during the qualifying matches and subsequent complaints on the issue by the Sierra Leone players. There is no record of the final tournament ever having been completed.
Despite these issues, the tournament would see two matches played between Ghana and Nigeria, the high point being when the two sides met in the final of the 1960 tournament which Ghana won 3-0 in Lagos, Nigeria. Both matches played between the two sides during the life of the tournament were won by Ghana by a combined score of 8-0.
1961-1967 Azikiwe Cup
The figurative successor to the Jalco Cup, the Azikiwe Cup was named for Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, who was Nigeria's first post-colonial president. The tournament was initially contested under the same rotating, single match, format as the Jalco Cup, but was later switched to an aggregate home and away setup with each team hosting one match a piece.
Unlike the Jalco Cup, the teams did not share the cup in the event of a tie under the single leg format, but rather the cup returned to the nation that already held it. This only occurred in 1962 when Ghana secured a 0-0 result in Lagos and were able to retain the cup that they initially won in the first competition in 1961. Ghana won or retained the cup in every year that it was contested, beginning a dominant period in the rivalry broken only during a brief period in the mid 1970s and 1980s and lasting until early 2000s.
Matches
Statistics
Matches | Ghana wins |
Draws | Nigeria wins |
Goal difference |
---|---|---|---|---|
56 | 25 | 19 | 12 | 91:57 |
- *Ghana was organized under the Gold Coast Football Federation at this time until it's independence
- Table lists only senior team competitions. Olympics, underage competition and African Nations Championship matches are excluded
- Matches which go which are won after extra time with penalty kicks are listed as draws, per official FIFA designation.
# | Date | Competition | Venue | Home team | Score | Away team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 October 1950 | Friendly | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Gold Coast* | |
Nigeria |
2 | 20 October 1951 | Jalco Cup | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | Gold Coast* | |
3 | 11 October 1953 | Jalco Cup | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Gold Coast* | |
Nigeria |
4 | 30 October 1954 | Jalco Cup | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | Gold Coast* | |
5 | 28 May 1955 | Friendly | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Gold Coast* | |
Nigeria |
6 | 30 October 1955 | Jalco Cup | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Gold Coast* | |
Nigeria |
7 | 27 October 1956 | Jalco Cup | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | Gold Coast* | |
8 | 27 October 1957 | Jalco Cup | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | 3–3 | Nigeria |
9 | 25 October 1958 | Jalco Cup | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | Ghana | |
10 | 21 November 1959 | Jalco Cup | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
11 | 27 August 1960 | 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
12 | 10 September 1960 | 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | 2–2 | Ghana |
13 | 9 October 1960 | 1960 Nkrumah Cup Final (West African Soccer Federation championship) | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | |
Ghana |
14 | 29 October 1960 | Independence Cup | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | 1–1 | Ghana |
15 | 8 April 1961 | 1963 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | 0–0 | Ghana |
16 | 30 April 1961 | 1963 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | 2–2 | Nigeria |
17 | 1 June 1961 | WAC | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
18 | 17 December 1961 | 1961 Azikiwe Cup | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
19 | 3 January 1962 | 1963 African Cup of Nations Preliminary | Addis Ababa, ![]() |
Nigeria | 1–1 | Ghana |
20 | 10 November 1962 | 1962 Azikiwe Cup | Surulere, Lagos State | Nigeria | 0–0 | Ghana |
21 | 24 February 1963 | 1961-63 Nkrumah Cup Semifinal | Kumasi, Ashanti Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
22 | 30 October 1965 | 1965 Azikiwe Cup | Surulere, Lagos State | Nigeria | |
Ghana |
23 | 7 November 1965 | 1965 Azikiwe Cup | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
24 | 28 January 1967 | 1966 Azikiwe Cup | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | 2–2 | Ghana |
25 | 12 February 1967 | 1966 Azikiwe Cup | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
26 | 21 October 1967 | 1967 Azikiwe Cup | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
27 | 23 December 1967 | 1967 Azikiwe Cup | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | 2–2 | Ghana |
28 | 10 May 1969 | 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification | Ibadan, Lagos State | Nigeria | Ghana | |
29 | 18 May 1969 | 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | 1–1 | Nigeria |
30 | 8 January 1973 | All African Games Group A | Surulere, Lagos State | Nigeria | Ghana | |
31 | 10 February 1973 | 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification | Surulere, Lagos State | Nigeria | Ghana | |
32 | 22 February 1973 | 1974 FIFA World Cup qualification | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | 0–0 | Nigeria |
33 | 31 August 1975 | Friendly | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
34 | 08 March 1978 | 1963 African Cup of Nations | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | 1–1 | Nigeria |
35 | 21 July 1978 | All African Games Group B | Algiers, ![]() |
Nigeria | 0–0 | Ghana |
36 | 01 May 1983 | Friendly | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
37 | 05 March 1984 | 1984 African Cup of Nations | Bouaké, ![]() |
Ghana | Nigeria | |
38 | 27 July 1986 | CEDEAO Cup | Monrovia, ![]() |
Ghana | |
Nigeria |
39 | 06 February 1987 | ZONE 3 Semi-final | Monrovia, ![]() |
Ghana | |
Nigeria |
40 | 2 September 1990 | 1990 African Cup of Nations | Kumasi, Ashanti Region | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
41 | 13 April 1991 | 1992 African Cup of Nations Qualifiers | Surulere, Lagos State | Nigeria | 0–0 | Ghana |
42 | 2 November 1991 | CEDEAO Cup 3rd place match | Abidjan, ![]() |
Ghana | |
Nigeria |
43 | 23 January 1992 | 1992 African Cup of Nations | Dakar, ![]() |
Ghana | |
Nigeria |
44 | 9 March 1994 | Friendly | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | 0–0 | Ghana |
45 | 28 August 1999 | Friendly | Lagos, Lagos State | Nigeria | 0–0 | Ghana |
46 | 10 March 2001 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | 0–0 | Nigeria |
47 | 28 July 2001 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification | Port Harcourt, Lagos State | Nigeria | Ghana | |
48 | 3 February 2002 | Friendly | Stade du 26 Mars, Bamako ![]() |
Nigeria | Ghana | |
49 | 15 December 2002 | Friendly | Accra, Greater Accra Region | Ghana | Nigeria | |
50 | 23 February 2003 | Friendly | Warri, Lagos State | Nigeria | 0–0 | Ghana |
51 | 30 May 2003 | LG CUP Semi-final | Abuja National Stadium, Abuja | Nigeria | Ghana | |
52 | 23 January 2006 | 2006 Africa Cup of Nations | Port Said, ![]() |
Nigeria | Ghana | |
53 | 6 February 2007 | Friendly | Griffin Park, London ![]() |
Ghana | |
Nigeria |
54 | 3 February 2008 | 2008 Africa Cup of Nations | Ohene Djan Stadium, Accra | Ghana | |
Nigeria |
55 | 28 January 2010 | 2010 Africa Cup of Nations | Luanda ![]() |
Ghana | |
Nigeria |
56 | 11 October 2011 | Friendly | Vicarage Road ![]() |
Ghana | 0–0 | Nigeria |
External links
- Details at 11v11.com
- History of Jalco Cup 1951-1959 - RSSF.com
- History of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Cup 1959-1967 - RSSF.com
- History of Azikiwe Cup 1961-1967 - RSSF.com
See also
References
- ↑ "Ghanaians vs Nigerians: Sibling Rivalry". 11 January 2014. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ↑ "Biggest Rivalry In Africa: Ghana vs. Nigeria". 2 February 2008. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ↑ "Nigeria vs Ghana: Head to Head". 29 January 2014. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ↑ "Nigeria,Ghana and the genesis of a rivalry". 22 November 2012. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
- ↑ "History favours Ghana". 25 July 2001. Retrieved 2016-11-11.