Football
2024 CHAN Qualifiers: Didi Dramani on Ghana’s Strategy Against Nigeria
Ghana’s Coach Didi Dramani outlines the Black Galaxies' strategy and preparation ahead of their CHAN 2024 qualifier clash against rivals Nigeria, aiming to replicate their 2022 success
Ghana FA
Ghana will lock horns with Nigeria once again in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) qualifiers after both teams were paired together in the qualifying draw.
This encounter is particularly charged, as the two rivals previously met in the qualifying stage ahead of the 2022 finals, where the Black Galaxies triumphed in a dramatic penalty shootout following an incredible 2-2 aggregate draw in Abuja.
As anticipation builds for this high-stakes match, all eyes are on the Black Galaxies' local coach, Mas Ud Didi Dramani.
In an exclusive interview, Dramani shared insights into the team's rigorous preparations, his strategic player selections, and the expectations surrounding the clash.
With a storied rivalry at play, the stakes couldn't be higher as Ghana aims to assert its dominance once again, while Nigeria seeks to make amends for their 2022 defeat.
PLAYER SELECTIONS
In preparation for the upcoming clash, Coach Mas Ud Didi Dramani emphasized the importance of carefully monitoring the domestic football environment when making player selections.
He noted that evaluating players' recent performances and their consistency in the local league is crucial for assembling a competitive squad.
“Player selection is based on monitoring the domestic football environment since we have already built a comprehensive database to track the transition of players from the domestic scene. We are also very mindful of the various league structures, and as much as possible, we aim not to disrupt the competitive balance of the various leagues in the country,” Mas Ud Didi Dramani told SportsBoom.com.
Didi Dramani also revealed the three foundational purposes that their intense screening of players must align with. “We are undergoing intense screening of various groups to prepare staff and players in alignment with the following foundational purposes: culture, philosophy, and style of play.”
Intermittent assembly of players and technical staff is key because we have a very short period of time to integrate our tactics and style of play into the team.
Didi Dramani
IMPACT OF QUALITY IN THE LOCAL LEAGUE
The African Nations Championship (CHAN) was created to give homegrown players the opportunity to represent their country on a global stage and to promote their local leagues.
When asked if the quality of the league will affect players' performance, Dramani responded: “Absolutely, the quality of the domestic league has an impact on the quality of players and their ability to adapt quickly. So, we have adopted a collaboration system with their club coaches to help develop the players.”
EXPECTATIONS
Didi Dramani is well aware of the rivalry between the two nations and how important it is for Ghana to replicate their 2022 success when they face Nigeria in the two-legged fixture in December.
“Obviously, the expectations as usual are high considering the history of both teams, and we are working very hard to assemble a competitive squad from now until December for the big two games.”
Ghana has qualified for the African Nations Championship (CHAN) finals on four occasions but has never won the competition; the closest they came was in 2009 and 2014, when they finished as runners-up on both occasions.
Mas Ud Didi Dramani and his squad are looking to improve upon their performance from the previous edition, but they must first overcome the hurdle of beating Nigeria in the qualifiers in two months' time.
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