A former Nigeria captain, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, has insisted that Ghana not qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup will not be a big deal.
The anticipated playoff games come off this weekend at the Baba Yara Stadium on March 25 with the return game at the Abiola National Stadium on March 29.
Yakubu played for Nigeria for over a decade and faced Ghana several times in his career, including during the Super Eagles’ 2-1 defeat to the Black Stars at AFCON 2008.
Speaking ahead of his country’s Qatar 2020 playoff against Ghana, the 39-year-old said most Nigerians are already looking forward to seeing their national team at the World Cup.
According to him, although some Ghanaians will feel disgruntled by such an outcome, making it to Qatar means more to Nigerians.
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“No one will feel good, everyone will feel bad and be upset about not going to the World Cup,” Yakubu told Joy Sports.
“Also this is the last chance of most of the boys in the Nigerian team to play in the World Cup, it will never come so they have to go there and give in their best. We don’t want to be thinking about not going to the World Cup, we’re thinking of we are going to be in Qatar already.
“I know how the Ghanaians are feelings, they want to be in the World Cup as well but for Nigerians, our dream is to go there, to support them. Just imagine Nigeria not qualifying for the World Cup. If Ghana don’t qualify for the World Cup it’s not a big deal but Nigeria not qualifying is a big deal.”
