Cautious Ghana on brink of World Cup glory

Caution is the keyword for Ghana ahead of a home fixture against Sudan Sunday that could clinch a place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The ‘Black Stars’ will become the first African qualifiers for the tournament if they defeat the ‘Desert Hawks’ in Accra and the other Group D fixture between Benin and Mali in Cotonou is drawn earlier the same day.

Ghana boast a 100 percent record at the halfway stage of the mini-league after a win over each of their three rivals and with two home fixtures to come it seems a case of when the west Africans clinch top spot, not if.

But Serb coach Milovan Rajevac and strikers Matthew Amoah and Asamoah Gyan stressed to the Ghanaian media that defeating Sudan 2-0 in sauna-like Omdurman last June is no guarantee they will repeat the feat at home.

“It is only through hard work that we can achieve our dream of qualification for the 2010 World Cup and I have stressed that to the squad,” said media-shy Rajevac.

The coach returned this week from a lengthy monitoring mission in Europe and, without naming players, said it had given him a clear idea of who to pick against Sudan, and in the future.

“I’m satisfied with what I saw before naming my squad for the Sudan game and I know we will continue to win provided we do not becoming over confident,” he said.

“We have not qualified yet and I will demand absolute concentration in our last three matches. I will be looking out for those players who are ready to sacrifice with me to achieve the ultimate.”

Rajevac is set to become the second Serb coach to steer the ‘Black Stars’ into the quadrennial four-week tournament after Ratomir Dujkovic led the four-time African champions to the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

France-based Gyan, vying for a starting place up front with Amoah, Prince Tagoe and ‘Junior’ Agogo, echoed the words of his coach ahead of the clash at the national Ohene Djan stadium.

“With the quality of players we have Ghana should be able to get three points, but we should be careful about assuming that the match is won even before we play.”

“If we play to our strengths, show Sudan respect and do what we do best, the three points will be ours,” said Gyan, back in the squad after an injury-induced six-month absence.

Amoah said: “We are not there yet. The journey is halfway through, the remaining three matches are crucial, and we must avoid complacency. We are in a good position to qualify and hope to do it in grand style.”

Apart from a World Cup place for the group winners, the top three finishers after the final fixtures in November go to the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola.