Ghana won't be intimidated playing in Egypt - Nyantakyi

Ghana FA chief Kwesi Nyantakyi says facing Egypt in the second-leg of the 2014 World Cup playoffs in Cairo in November would hold no advantage for the Pharaohs as the Black Stars have won crucial away matches in the current qualifiers.

The Black Stars will host Egypt in the first leg of the tie on 15 October in Kumasi before traveling to Cairo on 19 November for the match to decide who qualifies for the World Cup.

Many Ghanaian football fans fear that playing Egypt away from home in the second-leg could hand the Pharaohs the advantage because they will have the chance to deploy tricks to win the return leg.

But the Ghana FA leader says the recent development in the game in Africa coupled with good preparation will help the Black Stars excel in the away game in Cairo.

“Twenty years ago the sequence of the game whether you were playing first home or away second was an issue in Africa, but at the moment, is no longer an issue,” Nyantakyi told Joy Sports.

“All the games are on television and the hanky panky deals that use to go on are no longer there, there is more fairness, fair play, a level playing ground; some of the things that use to happen with bad organisation and officiating are no longer there.”

“Playing in Egypt first or second will not make any difference if you don’t prepare well, almost all our players have played at the highest level so playing before a hundred thousand capacity stadium will not intimidate them.

“We have won some crucial away games recently, so the fact that the decider will be played away for me is not a problem at all.”

Egypt after failing to meet FIFA’s deadline of naming a venue and confirming a date for the game has settled on the 30,000 capacity Al Defaa Al Gawi Military Stadium in Cairo.

This will be the first time Egypt will be playing in Cairo since October 2011, following the Port Said tragedy and civil unrest in the country.