DUISBURG, Germany (AP) - Italy enters its World Cup opener against Ghana with more knowledge about its opponent than itself.
Italy coach Marcello Lippi won't decide until hours before Monday's game whether to start playmaker Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero as a third forward, or Simone Perrotta as a fourth midfielder.
If Totti was in top form, the choice would be easy. But the AS Roma star is still regaining his strength from left leg surgery and says he's only at 70 percent.
World Cup newcomer Ghana has no injuries to worry about.
Ghana captain Stephen Appiah, Chelsea's Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari are set to lineup in midfield, and Borusia Dortmund's Matthew Amoah is the key to Ghana's attack.
"We know Ghana's lineup better than our own," Italy striker Luca Toni said. "We know them well because they have several players based in Europe."
Toni and Alberto Gilardino are nearly assured of starting. The question is who will provide them the ball from behind.
"It's not up to me to decide. All I can say is that Francesco is the best player in the world when it comes to providing that last, key pass," Toni said.
Toni's 31 goals for Fiorentina this season were the most of any player in Europe's top leagues. A late bloomer at 29, he's entering his first World Cup.
"This could be the only World Cup of my career and I want it to be an extraordinary one," Toni said.
Ghana coach Ratomir Dujkovic blamed injuries for an early exit from this year's African Cup of Nations, but the team has gained confidence with recent warmup victories against Jamaica and South Korea.
Lippi traveled to Egypt earlier this year to watch Ghana in the African Cup.
"They've steadily improved," Lippi said. "They have five or six players that you really have to watch out for."
Lippi recruited Appiah to Juventus when he coached the club.
Other Ghana players with Italian connections include Muntari, who plays for Udinese, and AS Roma's Samuel Kuffour, who provides a physical presence in central defense.
Italy looked unimpressive in two warmup draws against Switzerland and Ukraine last week. More was also expected from a 5-1 win over a local under-19 squad in a training match Friday.
Toni failed to score in all three games.
"I hope my luck changes," he said.
History has shown that opening against an African team is not always easy, such as Cameroon's victory over Argentina in 1990 and Senegal's upset of defending champion France four years ago.
"If they're here it means they're one of the best teams in Africa," Toni said. "But we're not as worried about the opponent as much as we are about playing our first match. We want to get off to a good start."
With investigations into a massive corruption scandal ongoing in Italy, it will be interesting to see how focused the Azzurri are.
