With secrecy and uncertainty as garnishing, the Jollof Derby is sure to be tasty.

Win, lose or draw, Thomas Partey has been delivering the goods for Arsenal since his poor (by his standards) campaign at the 2021 AFCON and an ill-advised decision to make himself available for selection immediately after returning from Ghana’s horror show in Cameroon.

The version of Partey that has been on display since February is the version Ghana needs to get past Nigeria to make it to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

With Nigerian Billionaire Aliko Dangote heavily involved in the lead up to the big game from a Nigerian perspective, Partey has an opportunity to directly show the celebrated Businessman firsthand what he is missing out on as an interested prospective owner of Partey’s employer, Arsenal Football Club.

In the absence of Andre Ayew, Partey needs to step up and deliver the big plays in this crunch game as Dede has done consistently over the years to get the Black Stars to Qatar.

Not that Partey hasn’t pulled off such magical moments before in a Black Stars jersey- that hat trick against Congo comes to mind-but such moments have been few and now is the time for him to step up and deliver against Nigeria the same way some of his heroes did 14 years ago

There is a ton of uncertainty about Black Stars player call ups due to the football authority’s queer decision to avoid making the call ups public; in fact, the Ghana Football Association is holding on to the names so close to its chest you’d think the cards had the storyboard of James Cameron’s Avatar sequel written on them.

However, there isn’t any uncertainty about the venue anymore and it is true the Baba Yara Sports Stadium in Kumasi lacks some top-level amenities that meet international standards presently but there is little reason to believe those in charge won’t fix the problems in time given what Ghana went through to secure a home venue for the tie.

Sports not just football in Kumasi and by extension, Ghana’s Ashanti Region, is huge; year on year, large crowds gather to witness the Inter Colleges Track and Field competitions at the Senior High School Level.

As such, playing this crucial tie in the de facto sports capital of Ghana is apt. With a few years yanked off its shell life, the Cape Coast Stadium is yet to have those starry nights that come with stadia that have been around for a long time.

There is a special place in the heart of Cameroonians for the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in a way the shiny Stade Olembe just can’t replace. It is the same in Ghana when the Cape Coast Stadium and Baba Yara are in the same sentence.

The Baba Yara has served as the backdrop to historic Black Stars moments at least over the past two decades; recording a 3-0 win over South Africa and a 6-1 win over Egypt take the top spots mainly due to the change in fortune for Ghana’s football greatness beyond Africa at the senior level those results generated.

Both wins proved to be major turning points in Ghana’s quest for its first-ever and third World Cup appearances. Christian Atsu scored his debut Black Stars goal at the Stadium and for all his brilliant displays, there is a legit argument to be made Stephen Appiah’s best game in a Black Stars jersey was at the Baba Yara against South Africa.

In 2004, Ghana rolled into the contest against South Africa as a major underdog considering the Black Stars had failed to even make it to the 2004 AFCON while South Africa had more players competing at the top level and the Bafana Bafana was just two years away from competing at the 2002 World Cup after picking up a win, a loss and draw. Ghana and Egypt were evenly matched at least on paper but the Kumasi crowd got a dominant display and loads of goals to cheer for the Stars.

Looking at the rich history of Black Stars performances and results the Baba Yara has delivered especially in World Cup qualifications, it is quite certain another big result is on the cards.

You look out for each other in a family and it is time for the Black Stars to look out for their sisters-the Black Queens- and deliver some ounce of vengeance on Nigeria to make up for the Queens' heartbreaking 1-2 loss on aggregate to the Super Falcons.

That aggregate loss eliminated Ghana from qualifiers to the 2023 Women’s World Cup. In the realm of World Cup qualification, that can’t happen twice and that sets the stage for a surely tasty affair to close out Ghana’s Independence month.

By: @YawMintYM