Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has allayed the fears of Ghanaians ahead of their return-leg World Cup play-off against Egypt in Cairo on November 19.
He revealed in an interview from his UAE base that FIFA’s decision to sanction the game at the Air Defense Stadium would not shift their focus.
Gyan believed the venue, coupled with the mouthwatering $1m each financial package promised their opponents, had urged them on to play as though they have no feather in their cup.
The Al- Ain talisman mentioned that their emphatic win had the tendency to make them complacent, which was common to humans.
But he indicated that FIFA’s failure to shift the venue upon request by the Ghana Football Association (GFA) due to the security situation in the country, had given him and his colleagues a different mindset ahead of the clash.
“We appealed to FIFA earlier because of the political tension, but they sanctioning the venue is enough proof that the venue is safe for use,” he told DAILY GUIDE SPORTS.
He gave the assurance that “wherever FIFA asks us to play the second leg, we will defeat them. We are approaching the game as if we are the underdogs. I am in touch with my colleagues on regular basis and you could feel how ready they are for the game. We are only praying for strength and a good day.
“We have come too far to miss the Brazil 2014 World Cup bus. We don’t want to miss it, we are determined to give our best shot, and that alone is enough motivation to conquer them at their own backyard. Ghanaians should relax and continue to pray for us for a good day. We won’t disappoint them,” he added.
FIFA turned down Ghana’s appeal for a change of venue for the return leg due to the political tension in Cairo.
The world football governing body has approved the Air Defense Stadium for the November 19 clash, stating that the CAF Champions League clash involving Al-Ahly and Orlando Pirates scheduled for the same venue on November 10 suggests it is safe for the Word Cup play-off.
Ghana handed their Egyptian counterparts a 6-1 thrashing in the first leg at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on October 15.
