Good for Nigeria, bad for Ghana: Troost-Ekong heads to Abidjan as eight withdraw from Black Stars’ squad

Troost-Ekong heads to Abidjan as eight withdraw from Black Stars’ squad

Nigeria have been boosted by the availability of defender William Troost-Ekong for their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Ivory Coast on Tuesday, while Ghana have been hit by a string of withdrawals.

Troost-Ekong, who plays his club football for Watford in the English Premier League, missed Nigeria’s opening qualifier against Benin on Saturday due to injury.

However, he has now recovered and will be available for selection for the trip to Abidjan.

Ghana hit by withdrawals

Ghana, meanwhile, have been hit by a string of withdrawals from their squad for the game against Nigeria.

Skipper Andre Ayew, his brother Jordan Ayew, Thomas Partey, Mubarak Wakaso, John Boye, Baba Rahman, Bernard Mensah and Caleb Ekuban have all withdrawn from the squad for various reasons.

The withdrawals are a major blow to Ghana, who are now without some of their key players for the crucial clash with Nigeria.

Nigeria favorites against depleted Ghana

With Troost-Ekong back in the squad and Ghana missing a number of key players, Nigeria will go into the game as favorites.

The Super Eagles are ranked 32nd in the world by FIFA, while Ghana are ranked 51st.

Nigeria have also won their last two meetings with Ghana, including a 2-0 victory in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Ghana will need to be at their best to get a result against Nigeria

Ghana will need to be at their best to get a result against Nigeria on Tuesday.

The Black Stars have a number of talented players in their squad, but they will need to gel quickly and play as a team if they are to overcome the Super Eagles.

A win for Nigeria would put them in a strong position to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations, while a win for Ghana would keep their hopes alive.