Over emphasis on Brazil game not helpful, Le Roy

Lome, March 17, GNA - Black Stars head coach, Claude Le Roy says the over emphasis on Ghana's date with Brazil on Tuesday, March 27 is not helpful.

He told GNA Sports in Lome that 93I am not the least happy that everyone is talking about our game with Brazil as though the one against Austria three days earlier does not exist.

"There is always the tendency of an element of surprise somewhere when attention is shifted like now.

"What we all must recognize is that the game against Austria is equally crucial and we cannot afford to treat it with near contempt when the stakes are that high".

The Ghanaian will play Austria at home on Friday, March 23. The Frenchman who got the Stars job late last year told the GNA Sports that 93the Austria game is completely important to me because I consider it to be among the series of tests I'm trying to put the players through in search of that readiness to play every three days when the Nations Cup begins January 20, 2008".

The Stars meet the former World Champions for the second time in nine months.

The game is billed for Stockholm, Sweden.

Brazil cut short the smooth adventure of the Ghanaians at the World Cup last summer with a 3-0 drubbing when the two met at the knockout stage of the competition which the West Africans excelled as debutants.

Most Ghanaians therefore consider the duel as a revenge mission for the Stars who are taking advantage of a few free days to prepare for the African Cup of Nations scheduled to take off in Ghana next year. Le Roy envisages an equal tougher duel against the Austrians who he feels will come ready to prove a point.

The Stars, graded 19 globally by the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Coca Cola monthly ranking is yet to lose a game since last July's defeat to the 93Samba dancers".