No stopping Dream Team V

27 June 2011

Despite their army of World Cup stars Ghana will not stop Nigeria from reaching this year’s All Africa Games, according to defender Usman Amodu.

At the weekend, Dream Team V were 3-1 winners over a Ghanaian side that paraded several stars from last year’s World Cup including Samuel Inkoom, Emmanuel Agyemen-Badu and Dominic Adiyiah.

Olympique Marseille forward Andre Ayew is also expected to star for the Black Meteors in the return leg clash.

However, Enyimba left back Amodu, who was involved in the third goal on Saturday, said Nigeria are hungrier to feature at the All Africa Games in Mozambique in September.

“Yes, we know that Ayew is a great player like his other colleagues. The fact is that Nigeria are blessed with great young players who want to prove a point. We are hungrier to play at the All Africa Games since the same Ghana ousted our female national team,” former schoolboy international Amodu told MTNFootball.com.

“So, it will a be a fitting pound of flesh for us to pick the AAG ticket ahead of Ghana and I believe we are on course already.”

Ghana opened scoring early enough but Nigeria came back in the second half to score three goals to win the match while red hot Nosa Igiebor scored a brace with Usman’s free-kick being converted by Edet Ibok for Dream Team V’s third goal.

Usman admitted though that Ghana were a hard nut to crack in Benin City but he is confident of victory again when they meet for the return leg in Ghana.

“We played a very tough match against Ghana. It was like a cup final and they paraded very good players but we too showed the stuff we are made of. That was why we won,” he said.

“I am particularly happy that my free kick was converted for the third goal which I believe was an insurance goal. It is not going to be easy scoring two goals against us in Ghana without us scoring at least a goal too.”

“Another good thing is that our star players like Macaulay Chrisantus, Rabiu Ibrahim, Lukman Haruna, Daniel Chima Uchechi and Ahmed Musa, who missed the first leg in Benin, will all be back for the second leg.

“Ghana will fall again in the return leg for Nigeria to qualify for the All Africa Games.”