4 times champions of Africa, Ghana has secured a place in Qatar 2022 after holding rivals, Nigeria, to a 1:1 draw in Abuja on Tuesday.

Ghana advanced to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December 2022, on the away goals rule. The first leg which took place in Kumasi, Ghana finished goalless on Friday.

The visitors took the lead at the Abuja National Stadium on 10 minutes when Thomas Partey’s shot from outside the penalty-box squirmed under goalkeeper Francis Uzoho.

Nigeria equalized via a penalty kick as Dennis Odoi clattered into Ademola Lookman in the box. William Troost-Ekong didn’t miss the glorious opportunity to bring the home-side back into the Game.

Ghana defended for much of the 90 minutes. Nigeria thought they had a second goal before the close of the first half, when Victor Osimhen scored from a close encounter with the Ghanaian goalie, Joseph Luke Wollacott, but the VAR correctly ruled that he was offside in the build-up to the goal.

Before the match, online betting sites and onlinefreecasino observed an increase in traffic, with youths from Ghana and Nigeria staking their bets in anticipation of winning big.  At the blow of the whistle, Nigeria, who has qualified for six of the previous seven World Cups dating back to the United States in 1994, crashed out with all the possible betting outcomes.

Ghana’s President Akufo-Addo lauded the Black Stars over their win on the day which was also his birthday.  He took to social media to congratulate the team for their “dogged display in Abuja.”

“Warm congratulations to the Senior National Football Team, the Black Stars… for qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. I am very proud of the team’s exploits. They have made the entire nation proud,” he said.

Warm congratulations to the Senior National Football Team, the Black Stars, for their dogged display in Abuja, and qualifying for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. I am very proud of the team’s exploits. They have made the entire nation proud.

— Nana Akufo-Addo (@NAkufoAddo) March 29, 2022

Ghana has qualified for three FIFA World Cup tournaments; 2006, 2010, and 2014. In 2006 they were the only African side to advance to the Second Round. They had the youngest team in that tournament with an average age of 23 years. FIFA ranked Ghana 13th out of the 32 countries who competed in the tournament.

In the 2010 World Cup, Ghana progressed beyond the group stages, and reached the quarter-finals where they were eliminated by Uruguay. Ghana would have become the first African nation to progress to the semi finals of the world cup, if they won the quarter-finals game.  Of the 32 countries that participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA ranked Ghana 7th.

In the 2014 World Cup, Ghana was eliminated during the group stages.