Nigeria vs Ghana: Players who have crossed the line

Aside from the rich histories shared by both Western African Countries, they have also shared football players and athletes in the past.

The current Super Eagles squad has quite a number of players who have had to change their country allegiance to Nigeria. Super Eagles defender, William Troost Ekong, newly capped Ademola Lookman, and Alex Iwobi are players who have at one time been listed under the flags of the Netherlands and England.

Between Nigeria and Ghana, the common denominator of the English language has been players born in one country but opting to play for the other.

In Africa, Nigerian players have spread their tentacles to represent other neighbouring countries. Examples are the hugely-successful Emmanuel Adebayor and Rasaq Omotoyosi who played for Togo and Benin Republic respectively. In this FIFA window, a bonafide Nigerian player, Tosin Aiyegun opted to be capped by Benin Republic as the queue to the Super Eagles is a long one.

Premium Times narrowed this report to players of Nigerian descent that played for Ghana and vice versa.

Nigerians who played for Ghana

Ganiu Salami

The former U-17 coach had dual citizenship of both Nigeria and Ghana. Salami, also known as ‘Salakwa’ was born in Accra and attended St. John’s Grammar School and after playing for Ghana Academicals joined Hearts of Oak. He first had spells with the Ghanaian national team on two continental occasions, 1963 and 1965 respectively where he won the Nation Cup.

He eventually switched allegiance to Nigeria in 1967 and represented the country during the 1968 Summer Olympics. After retirement from playing, Salami became the Super Eagles’ assistant coach in the 1984 and 1988 Nations Cup.

Karim Tanko Abdul Rasak

Popularly called the “golden boy” of Ghana, Rasak was born in Ghana. The attacker was born on April 18, 1956, in Kumasi, Ghana. He started his career with Cornerstones in 1972, and three years later, he moved to Asante Kotoko where he was crowned African Footballer of the year in 1978 before moving to the USA in 1979.

Razak joined the U.S. side of New York Cosmos for three years before returning to Kotoko in Ghana for another one-year spell. He travelled to UAE to join Al Ain for another two years then returned home for another five years.

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Having spent so much of his career with Kotoko, Razak retired in the Ivorian club, Africa Sports of Abidjan, spending two years. During his playing days, Tanko represented Ghana 75 times and scored 25 goals for the black Stars. One of his best moments in the national team was the 1978 AFCON, where he was crowned the best player of the tournament.

The 65-year-old also had a stunt in coaching for a while after retiring from football in 1990. He started coaching in 1999 and ended in 2012.

Amusa Gbadamosi

Gbadamosi, nicknamed ‘Pele’ started from Bimbilla, moved to Northern Star before crossing over to Hearts in 1963. He joined Asante Kotoko in 1970 and returned to Hearts a year later. He also featured for Ghana in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico.

Ghanaians who played for Nigeria

Kingsley Paul

Kingsley Paul played for BCC lions of Gboko and went on to participate for Nigeria in the 1984 Nations Cup where he won silver under coach Coach Adegboyega Onigbinde.

Paul played against Ghana in the 1984 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, a game the Eagles won 2-1 with goals from Henry Nwosu and Chibuzor Ehilegbu while Prince Opoku Nti scored Ghana’s consolation.

Leotis Boateng

Leotis Boateng was born March 8, 1951, and played for Nigeria at the 1980 Summer Olympics as a central defender. He also represented Nigeria at the AFCON tournament in Libya in 1982. He won the FA Cup with Bendel Insurance and had a spell at Leventis United in the 1984/85 season.

John Benson

Diminutive John Benson made his name in Leventis United of Ibadan between 1984 and 1987 and made the right-back slot his own for a couple of games before Yisa Sofoluwe upstaged him.

Orlando John