With Sunday's rather surprising victory over Lone Star of Liberia in the World Cup qualifier at Monrovia, the Black Stars of Ghana have again sprang up another threat for both Nigeria and Liberia.
After holding star-studded Nigerian team to a barren draw in Accra, March 11 and following it up with another 1-1 draw against Sierra Leone in Freetown on May 5, the Ghanaian team has demonstrated tremendous improvement with every match.
Sunday's 2-1 victory over highly ambitious George Weah-led Liberia has put the Black Stars into a late minute contention with eight points already.
The Ghanaians play host to de-spirited Sudanese July 14 in Accra with Liberia trying to salvage their mission in Freetown, same day when Nigeria will observe the mandatory match resting day.
What this portends is, should the Ghanaians keep up the tempo, they will have chalked up eleven points by the time they come calling in Nigeria for the group's last match.
And with only two points less than Nigeria's, the Black Stars might cut short Nigeria's celebration if they get ambitious in the decisive encounter in Lagos, July 29.
What this means also, is that the Super Eagles' coaching crew must not rest on their oars just because Nigeria is back on the driver's seat in the group.
Given the Eagles' antecedent, the big boys might again want to stroll into camp for the crack tie against Ghana a day to kick-off, basking in euphoria of Omdurman victory.
The Eagles may have won three consecutive matches after the departure of swollen-headed Jo Bonfrere, but the truth remains that Nigeria has a worrisome 28-year jinx against Ghana whenever both sides meet in Nigeria. The last time Nigeria's senior national team won a match against Black Stars here was during the All Africa Games hosted in Lagos in1973. The Ghanaians have always posed problem to Nigeria irrespective of the manner of team presented by the former Gold Coast.
The aforementioned March 11 Battle of Accra was a good pointer to this fact when, despite parading her best materials, Nigeria failed to subdue a wholly Accra Hearts of Oak players in Black Stars jersies.
Thus, the July 29 battle might even turn out to be Nigeria's archiles heels as had always been predicted by bookmakers before Ghana took a plunge earlier in the qualifiers.
Eagles' chief coach Shaibu Amodu may do well to guide against this final hiccup on Nigeria's march to Korea/Japan World Cup next year.
