Nigeria vs Ghana: Changes Eguavoen should make against the Black Stars

Friday’s goalless encounter between these West African giants has set up a hugely-awaited decider in Abuja on Tuesday, with observers closer to finding out which nation will be in Qatar later this year.

Nigeria boss Augustine Eguavoen may have seemed somewhat pleased with the 0-0 result, even though he still hinted a win could have been claimed at the Baba Yara Stadium.

Having assessed Friday’s performance, GOAL suggests tweaks the trainer could make for the reverse fixture.

While there would be a temptation to play Peter Etebo instead, the Watford midfielder’s lack of match sharpness means Eguavoen should opt for the Brentford man from the start.

Whether the trainer selects Onyeka from the off remains to be seen, yet there is unlikely to be another Innocent Bonke experiment owing to the defensive midfielder’s underwhelming showing and subsequent injury in Kumasi.

Having waited so long before introducing the Leicester City winger on Friday, Lookman has to start in the reverse fixture.

The RB Leipzig loanee not only offers his aggressive ball carrying and dribbling ability, but he backs that up with the all-important end product.

With Samuel Chukwueze a doubt for Tuesday, Lookman should be trusted from the off for his home debut.

Kelechi Iheanacho may have fashioned Nigeria’s best chance of the night at the Baba Yara Stadium, but he offered little else for the remainder of the game.

Admittedly, it could be a risk playing Dennis and Victor Osimhen in tandem up front, so Eguavoen may alternatively choose to introduce the Watford man for Moses Simon from the start.

Nigeria already lost the element of surprise since the Africa Cup of Nations and now need to find other ways of penetrating their opponents.

Tunisia made the Super Eagles look one-dimensional in their Round of 16 exit in January, and the three-time African champions looked to lack ideas in the attacking third when their wingers lacked the cutting edge.

Will Eguavoen’s troops utilise a varied approach on Tuesday?

While he missed one of Nigeria’s two best chances on Friday, Aribo carries a menace in the final third if he receives the ball in the right areas.

The Rangers man is a threat in the half-spaces and his goalscoring instincts mean the midfield man ought to be retained in the line-up for his unique skill set.