Scotland-based Nigerian defender Leon Balogun has charged his team mates to put up a “special character” to beat the Black Stars of Ghana to the 2022 FIFA World Cup ticket.

The defender believes the task is more than what meets the eye and his charges will have to put up an extraordinary show to go past the Black Stars.

The West African giants will clash in the first leg of the playoffs at the Baba Yara Stadium, Kumasi on Friday, March 25.

The reverse fixture is billed for the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja four days later.

“I try to leave the rivalry pretty much aside without saying that I don’t respect it,” Balogun said in chat with NFF TV.

“For me, the rivalry does not matter too much, it’s about where I want to go with the team, and that’s the World Cup.

“So it happens that we play against Ghana. Yes, there’s that rivalry; I know there’s huge importance outside of football and also inside football with the fans. But I’ll try to leave that to them and do my best and work on the pitch.

“This kind of derbies, they are big, they demand a special kind of character, and I think I can bring that. But I do not need to voice it in any type of way outside of the pitch because, ultimately, you should give the right answers on the pitch. For myself and my country.”