Nigeria and Ghana will reignite a long standing rivalry when the Flying Eagles take on the Black Satellites of Ghana in one of the semifinals of the 2015 Africa Youth Championship in Dakar, Senegal.
A place in Sunday's final is at stake in the Africa U20 final match with both coaches talking up their chances of victory in the game.
"I'm not afraid to face Nigeria in the semifinals. At the beginning we were not fixed on playing a particular opponent," Satellites coach Sellas Tetteh told supersport.com.
"We will pick ourselves up (from the loss against Mali) and try to beat Nigeria. At this competition every game has it's own realities," he added
Nigeria came tops in Group A with seven points from three matches while Ghana placed second behind Mali with six points from three games in the group stage setting up a mouth-watering clash between the eternal rivals.
Ghana, winners of the 2009 World Youth Championship in Egypt, have had better success at the U20 level than Nigeria in the last decade but coach Garba Manu's free-scoring side alongside Mali have been the stand-out teams at this year's edition.
The majority of the current Flying Eagles squad consists of the members of the World Cup-winning U17 team of 2013 in the UAE and they have continued in the same stead at the U20 level with some eye catching displays.
Road to the semifinal
Nigeria
Senegal 1 (Sidy Sarr) Nigeria 4 ( Taiwo Awoniyi-2, Ifeanyi Matthew)
Nigeria 4 ( Musa Muhammed-2, Ifeanyi Matthew,Taiwo Awoniyi) Congo 1 ( Silvere Mboussy)
Ivory Coast 2 ( Franck Anderson, Chris Bedia) Nigeria 2 (Christian Pyagbara, Musa Muhammed)
Ghana
South Africa 0 Ghana 2 ( Tshaimo Masiya (OG), Benjamin Tetteh)
Ghana 2 (Abrahama Attobrah, Aful Samuel) Zambia 1(Dave Daka)
Mali 1 (Ichaka Diarra) Ghana 0
Snippet
Nigeria P3 W 2 D1 L0 GF9 GA4 GD+3 PTS 7 POS 1ST
Ghana P3 W2 D0 L1 GF4 GA2 GD+2 PTS6 POS 2ND
Flashback
1999 African Youth Championship- Ghana 1999.
Final match, March 7th, 1999
Ghana 1 ( Laryea Kingston) Nigeria 0
Line ups
Ghana
Sammy Adjei, Baffour Gyan, Abdul Rahman Issah (Theophilus Amuzu), Abdul Razak, Hamza Mohammed, Kofi Amoako (Emmanuel Adjogu), Aziz Ansah, Laryea Kingston, Johnson Eku (Awule Quaye), George Blay, Owusu Afriyie
Nigeria
Sam Okoye, Ikenna Eneh, Emmanuel Izuogha, John Aranka, Haruna Babangida (Joseph Yobo), Hashmu Garba, Aminu Sani (Julius Aghahowa), Abubakar Musa, Pius Ikedia, Rabiu Afolabi, Sunday Adu.
Team news
Garba Manu will have the full complement of his players as Taiwo Awoniy and Bernard Bulbwa who started the last group game against Ivory Coast from the bench should be fit to start.
Leke Ojo continues in goal as first-choice goalkeeper Joshua Enaholo continues to serve his suspension for the red card he picked up against Congo.
Satellite striker Benjamin Tetteh, who missed the game against Mali, is fighting to be fit for the all important clash on Wednesday.
Teams
Nigeria
Joshua Enaholo, Sunday Alampasu, Olorunleke Ojo, Musa Muhammed, Zaharadeen Bello, Izu Omego, Mustapha Abdullahi, Samuel Okon, Abdulganiyu Saheed, Ifeanyi Matthew, Ifeanyi Ifeanyi, Akinjide Idowu, Obinna Nwobodo, Bernard Bulbwa, Abdullahi Alfa,Taiwo Awoniyi, Christian Pyagbara, Abdullahi Ibrahim Alhassan, Usman Hassan, Chidera Ezeh, Wasiu Jimoh.
Ghana
Kwame Baah, Michael Sai, Mutawakilu Seidu, Fobi Kingsley, Joseph Adjei, Joseph Aidoo, Joseph Owusu Bempah, Mohammed Yakubu, Stephen Badu, Patrick Asmah, Yaw Yeboah, Michael Otou, Kofi Yeboah, Emmanuel Antwi, Clifford Aboagye, Abraham Attobrah, Benjamin Tetteh, Jonah Osabutey, Prosper Kassim, Samuel Afful, Samuel Tetteh.