These ‘British’ neighbors share a history. Nigeria and Ghana share many similarities, from being colonized by the British to educational structures.
The campuses of the University of Ibadan and the University of Legon share the same colors of blue and yellow, and they are miniature versions of each other.
The following are seven interesting facts about Ghana and Nigeria:
Both countries have played each other the most times on the African continent—49 times in total.
This is West Africa’s oldest rivalry. The first meeting took place on October 16, 1950.
Both countries have capped players from the opposing country. Leotis Boateng and John Benson represented Nigeria, while Tanko Abdul Razak and Aminu Kalala represented the Black Stars.
Nigeria’s worst defeat was a 7-0 loss to Ghana in 1955.
Ghana has qualified for the World Cup three times, while Nigeria has qualified six times, but the Black Stars have advanced the farthest, reaching the quarterfinals in South Africa in 2010.
The FIFA U-17 World Cup was won by both countries. Nigeria has won it five times, while Ghana has won it twice.
Ghana won the first African football medal in 1992, and Nigeria went one step further by winning gold at the 1996 Games.
The 50th installment will be held on Friday at 8:30 p.m., with the goal of qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar in November.
