After Ghana was paired with Egypt in the 2014 World Cup qualifier playoff, Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan acknowledged the match would be difficult. "We are not surprised at all because we knew by all means we would meet one of the five," Gyan said after the draw. The Black Stars will play Egypt over two legs, with the opener in Ghana. The winning team will qualify directly for next summer's World Cup in Brazil. "Home and away ties are always very tricky. I don't think it'll be a problem, it all depends on the team. All that is important is that we score more goals to make the second leg easier," Gyan added. The 27-year-old striker claimed Egypt have a better chance to prepare for the encounter than Ghana. "It's a bit scary, you know as a team they have played for so many years, but unfortunately their league has been inactive for a while so they only train most of the time." "But I also believe in our team, though they [Egypt] are giants in Africa. It will be a do or die affair, a mental game so we really have to prepare," Gyan said. He asked Ghanaians to support the Black Stars ahead of the crucial game: "Everywhere is still Ghana; whether in Kumasi, Sekondi, Accra or Tamale, it's the same Ghanaians that will support us." The first leg will be played between 11 and 15 October, and the second between 15 and 19 November. The playoff matches: Burkina Faso vs Algeria Ghana vs Egypt Tunisia vs Cameroon Ethiopia vs Nigeria Ivory Coast vs Senegal (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at@AO Sportsand on Facebook atAhramOnlineSports) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/81734.aspx
