Nigeria Goes for Broke As Ghana Aims to Confirm Ticket

By Christian Okpara

They say the first cut is the deepest, but for Team Nigeria revenge will still be sweet if it happened tomorrow. Nigeria lost its only game at the on-going ICC T20 World Cup qualifying series at the Tafawa Balewa Square Cricket Oval Lagos to Ghana, who know that another win tomorrow will cement its passage to the final round of the series.

Team Nigeria, also known as Yellow Green, lost the Match Day 3 game by seven wickets to their Ghanaians, who surprised many at the venue with the level of improvement they showed in the match.

With the first win under their belt, the Coach Kodam Kofi Anafie tutored side now wants to do a double over its more illustrious opponents.Speaking ahead of the deciding game, Captain Micheal Isaac Aboagye praised his team for its efforts so far in this tournament, saying it is a clear indication of how Ghanaian cricket has evolved.

"Before we came to Nigeria we had an unanimous decision of winning the competition as well as going unbeaten and we would not soft pedal until victory is assured. "Though we convincingly defeated them in our first game, but I immediately warned my teammates that it will be foolhardy of us to continue to bask in the euphoria of defeating Nigeria because Saturday's game is the most important match of our career and we remain focused as a team," he noted.

Although the Yellow Green Coach, Uthe Ogbimi was disappointed with the manner the team allowed Ghana to dictate the pace on Tuesday, he is emphatic that thunder will not strike the same placer twice.

"The Nigerian Cricket Federation has provided all we need to excel at this tournament and all we can do to compensate the great efforts put in by the board in organising this competition is to win it and in doing so we have to avenge the first leg loss to Ghana."That would bring back the belief to our teeming fans that have supported us all the way," he said.

While, Ghana will rely on Micheal Isaac Aboagye (Captain), Julius Horlali Mensah (Wicket Keeper), Peter Ananya, James Vifah, Rexford Bakum, David Ankrah, Kofi Bagabena, Awe Awiah, Simon and Vincent Ateak for another win, Nigeria is expected to call on ChimezieOnwuzulike (Captain), Joshua Ayannaike (Wicket Keeper), Ademola Onikoyi, Dotun Olatunji, Saheed Akolade, Isaac Okpe, Shola Anyia, SulaimonRunsewe, Taiwo Mohammed, Bimbo Adu, Sylvester Okpe and Seye Olympio for revenge.

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