How The Black Stars Players Fared in Their Stalemate With Nigeria

Ghana and Nigeria will have another 90 minutes to decide which team qualifies for the World Cup after a pulsating goalless draw in the first leg of the play-offs in Kumasi.

Nigeria gave Ghana a scare when the referee whistled for penalty in the second half only for VAR to reverse the decision.

Ghana got off to a good start and nearly took the lead when teenager Abdul Fatawu Issahaku pulled a great save from Nigeria goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.

How the Black Stars players fared against Nigeria

Joseph Wollacott - 5.5/10

In a game where he was barely seriously tested for the most part, the No.1 saw the first serious shot fly into his net although, it must be said, there was little he could have done about the situation. He did well to keep out a possible second goal with a good save late in the game but his ball distribution over the course of the 90 minutes left little to be desired.

Denis Odoi - 6.5/10

It was a decent game for the right-back on his debut for Ghana, as anticipated, made few runs into the opposition area owing to the possible danger of Nigeria’s wide men. The Club Brugge’s defender couldn’t have asked for a better debut. He made runs into the Nigerian half and was barely troubled on the right by Moses Simon.

Gideon Mensah - 6.5/10

The Bordeaux left-back defended well and made a few runs into the opposition area but was let down by his final delivery.

Gideon Mensah made the left back position his own with a solid performance. Much as he handled Villareal’s Chukwueze perfectly well, he was able to also to get to the Nigerian on a couple of occasions to deliver crosses.

Daniel Amartey - 7/10

The Leicester City man did well to organise the backline as Morocco struggled to create any clear openings.

Alexander Djiku - 7/10

The Strasbourg centre-back did well in a partnership with Amartey as they kept the Nigerians at bay. Djiku had little to do defensively earlier on but he was very instrumental in the second half. Djiku was one of the main reasons Ghana kept a clean sheet.

Mohammed Iddrisu Baba - 5.5/10

The Real Mallorca player provided a good cover for Ghana’s backline, allowing Thomas Partey and Kudus Mohammed freedom to operate.

Thomas Partey - 5/10

It was another lackluster performance from the Arsenal midfielder. Partey failed to exercise dominance in midfield, possibly due to a lack of offensive support. He gave the ball away a lot of times and failed to create anything meaningful from midfield.

Fatawu Issahaku - 5/10

The Sporting CP midfielder was one of the brightest sparks In the first half. He made daunting incursions into the Nigerian half in the first half but not much was seen of him in the second half.

Kudus Mohammed: 7/10

Despite his lack of game time for Ajax Amsterdam, Kudus Mohammed dominated the midfield for the Black Stars and was very instrumental in the few chances Ghana created. One of the best players for the Black Stars in the game.

Jordan Ayew - 5/10

The striker struggled to get himself in the game. Couldn’t get the supplies he was craving for throughout his stay on the pitch. It was a bad day for the Crystal Palace player

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Felix Afena-Gyan - 7/10

What a debut for the AS Roma striker. The 19-year old was menace for the Nigerian defensive pairing of Troost Ekong and Leon Balogun throughout the game. His hold-up play was superb and his pace was electrifying.

Ghanaians Salute Amartey for Defensive Masterclass

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Ghana and Leicester City defender Daniel Amartey was on the receiving end of ceaseless praise by football fans after his commendable performance for the Black Stars.

The 27-year-old central defender rarely put a foot wrong in an enthralling game between Ghana and Nigeria at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium.

Prior to the game, most Ghanaian football followers were worried about the potency of the Nigerian attack, especially with the return of red-hot Napoli marksman Victor Osimhen and Watford talisman Emmanuel Dennis.