Ghana ready for Nigeria

Accra, Jan 29, GNA - Ghana's trainer, Claude Le Roy says the Black Stars are ready for Nigeria at the last eight stage of the African Cup of Nations. The Ghanaians qualified with the nine maximum points to the next phase of the biennial championship while Nigeria had to rely on the goodwill and sportsmanship of Cote d'Ivoire to do the hatchet work for them by beating Mali 3- 0 in their last group match played at the Ohene Djan stadium.

Coach Le Roy, who was speaking before the last group matches were decided, insisted that whichever opposition they might come up against would have to be wary of them. "You don't choose your opponents and that is why we have to prepare for any opposition. "We will be ready for our next opponents - Mali, Nigeria or Ivory Coast." He said his charges are ready to travel far in the competition they yearn to win for the fifth time and "to be champions, means playing the best team in the competition is inevitable."

Le Roy said his team that laboured to beat Guinea 2-1 in the opener, struggled to manage a lone goal win over Namibia and turned on the flow to dominate Morocco to win 2-0, is peaking at the right time. He reckons any team they met at this level would be tough to defeat but also boasted; "the current team reminds me of a complete team that can go all the way at any competition. "It will be very difficult for any team to defeat the Black Stars today because the players have an amazing team spirit, dedication and a sense of duty that drive them to the very end." Ghana will meet Nigeria at the quarterfinals stage of the championship at the Ohene Djan Sports Stadium on Sunday.