Nigeria vs Ghana: Betting Odds & Prediction

AFCON 2024 finalists Nigeria host Ghana in an international friendly on Friday.

The pair will face-off for the first time in Marrakech since September 2022. Kick-off is set for 3pm UK time on Friday afternoon.

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Nigeria

The match will be Nigeria's first since their 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast in the AFCON 2024 Final in January. The loss denied them a fourth crowning as continental champions.

Their last ten matches have seen five wins, three draws and two losses. Eight of those fixtures were at AFCON earlier this year.

Though they've only averaged 1.3 goals per game during this period, they've also excelled defensively, conceding an average of exactly one goal per game. They've also kept four clean sheets in their last ten, while failing to score in just one.

Nigeria's last ten matches have averaged 2.3 goals in total.

Ghana

Ghana sacked manager Chris Hughton following their AFCON exit at the group stage earlier this year. They finished third in Group B after failing to win any of their three games at the tournament.

Ghana have managed just two wins in their most recent ten outings (W2, D5, L3), while scoring eleven and conceding 15. They're also underperforming at both ends of the pitch; despite averaging an expected goal (xG) tally of 1.3 per match, they've averaged just 1.1 per game so far. They've also conceded 1.5 per game on average, despite having an expected goal against (xGA) tally of 1.25.

Clean sheets have also been a rarity, with only two coming in their last ten, and they've also failed to score in four. Ghana's last ten matches have averaged 2.6 goals per game in total.

Prediction

Despite their loss in the AFCON Final, a Nigeria win makes the most sense here. They're in much better form than their opponents, who are still yet to appoint a manager following Hughton's sacking in January.

OddsNow's Pick: Nigeria to win (Evens @ SpreadEx)