Ghana-Nigeria: Feb 6, 7 or 14?

Uncertainty beclouds Eagles, Ghana match

Uncertainty now pervades the actual date for next month?s proposed international friendly between Nigeria and Ghana following conflicting reports emanating from the host nation of next year?s edition of the African Cup of Nations.

The much anticipated exhibition game between both rival West African nations had earlier been billed to come up on February 7 at Loftus Road-home turf of English Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

But according to the Secretary General of the Ghana Football Association, Kofi Nsiah the earlier scheduled date may not after all be feasible for the encounter expected to be the 45th meeting between the two fierce English speaking West African rivals.

The GFA scribe who was on the line Complete Sports Tuesday from Ghana went on to suggest an alternate date of February 6 for the imitational friendly pending final approval by the event?s organisers who have also been mandated to seek an alternate match venue to Loftus Road. The venue, according to Nsiah, may not accommodate the anticipated crowd expected to watch both sides who last met in the group stages of last year?s African Cup of Nations in Egypt.

?There is a latest snag regarding the match. It might not be on the 7th of February, it might now be on the 6th but we are yet to confirm,? Nsiah told Tidesports? source on telephone.

?There are other matches being played at the various stadia in England on the 7th and you know when Ghana and Nigeria are playing the crowd will be big so we also need a bigger stadium, so we are working on it to either play on the 6th or on the 7th.

?Originally it was Loftus Road but at the moment it is not possible; it is absolutely not possible. So the organisers are looking around and they will confirm which venue has been secured.

?Loftus Road had earlier been secured but at the moment I think there is a problem because there is a league match on the 7th and the English FA wouldn?t like us to play on the 7th so we may play on the 6th,? added the GFA scribe who despite the uncertainties surrounding the actual date and venue of the encounter is confident the Super Eagles and the Black Stars? fixture will eventually hold.

?Nothing has actually being finalised yet between all the parties concerned but we are still in the process of doing that because we have an agreement.

?You must know that the match organisers are FIFA match agents and it is not companies that are organising it, and there are a whole lot of discussions going on but we have all agreed in principle to play Nigeria maybe on the 6th or 7th.?

The GFA scribe?s views, however, went contrary to a report emanating same day from a Ghanaian radio station, Joy FM, which reported: that the GFA ?has finally confirmed St. Valentines Day, February 14, as the new date for the 45th meeting between Nigeria and Ghana.

But Nigeria Football Association (NFA) chairman, AIhaji Sani Lulu, refuted the report insisting the revised date, February 14, wasn?t a FIFA-approved match day.

?I am not aware of any change in date. February 7th is the date we have been given and all these talk about the 14th is news to me, and I don?t believe the date falls on a FIFA match date,? he said.