Egypt will play their home World Cup qualifying playoff against Ghana at Cairo's Air Defense Stadium in the presence of fans, according to sports minister Taher Abou-Zeid. The Egyptian FA said on their website that Abou-Zeid, who was appointed a few weeks ago, announced that the fixture will be played under normal circumstances on November 19. Egypt have been playing behind closed doors since the beginning of 2012 when the country was rocked by the Port-Said Stadium disaster. Mounting security concerns sparked by political unrest even forced the Pharaohs to move their home matches - away from Cairo and Alexandria - to Gouna. Abou-Zeid's announcement brings a slight surprise as the Ghana fixture was close to being moved outside Egypt upon the request of authorities. Egypt assistant manager Diaa Al-Sayed said this month that he prefers to have the game staged on a foreign ground, rather than receiving an uncertain approval by authorities to play at home. Egypt visit Ghana on October 15 for the first leg of the decisive playoff, which will see one of the two African powerhouses through to the 2014 World Cup.
