Sports News of 2026-10-15
Threatened By Yekini, Pelted With Bottles: Anthony Baffoe relives first taste of Ghana-Nigeria rivalry
Former Ghana defender Anthony Baffoe has recounted his first experience of the fierce rivalry between Ghana and Nigeria, recalling the hostile reception the Black Stars received in Lagos and a tense exchange with Nigerian legend Rashidi Yekini.
Speaking to Michael Oti Adjei, Baffoe said the trip to Nigeria exposed him to the intensity surrounding the fixture, from unusual security arrangements to bottles being thrown at Ghanaian players during their warm-up.
The former defender recalled that the team did not stay in a hotel but were accommodated at the ambassador’s residence amid fears about their safety.
Vinicius Jr handed four-game ban, to miss El Clásico
“We didn't sleep in a hotel. We slept at the ambassador's residence. They told me that, you know, if you go to any hotel, they'll put something in your glass or something in your food,” he said.
Baffoe, who had recently braided his hair into cornrows, also remembered attracting attention upon arrival in Nigeria, with some people questioning whether he was a woman playing football.
The hostility intensified at the stadium, where an estimated 80,000 spectators had gathered to watch the encounter.
“When we come out of the tunnel, we want to go and warm up; they said you can't warm up. So we had to warm up behind the goal on the small pitch there, and then they were throwing bottles. They were throwing them on us,” he recounted.
The occasion was particularly significant for Baffoe, as it was only his second appearance for Ghana and his first time playing as a centre-back for the national team.
CAF increases annual funding to Ghana FA to $700,000 in major financial boost
He also recalled a confrontation with Nigerian striker Yekini in the tunnel before the match.
“Rashidi Yekini looked at me like that. ‘Today you go see, I go wound you.’ And I told him that football, no be mouth,” Baffoe said.
The match ended goalless, but the encounter concluded on a sporting note, with Yekini approaching Baffoe to shake his hand.
“After Yekini came to me and shook my hand, saying, ‘You be proper guy,’” he recalled.
FKA/AM
