Ghana Faces Libya • In World Cup Qualifiers

Ghana, along with Libya, Gabon and Lesotho, has been put in Group 5 of the preliminary qualifying draw for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

These therefore are the three initial countries Ghana has to overcome to get a spot among the 32 best teams at the next World Cup.

The draw, which took place yesterday in Durban, South Africa, saw African giants Cameroon facing Cape Verde, Tanzania and Mauritius in Group 1, while Ivory Coast sort things out with Mozambique, Botswana and Madagascar in Group 7.

Perhaps the most difficult pairing that could pass for “the group of death” in the qualifying draw for Africa is Group 4 which has Nigeria, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.

As hosts of the 2010 World Cup, South Africa has automatically qualified for the event, but since the fixtures will also double as qualifiers for 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola, they are compelled to take part in the qualifying campaign.

Back home in Ghana, a lot of soccer fans and connoisseurs have hailed the pairings, saying it would give the Black Stars another opportunity to be at the world soccer fiesta, come 2010.

“Looking at our group, frankly I don't see the Black Stars failing to advance to the next stage. Ghana should be able to beat the other Group 5 teams to emerge winners of the group,” Asare Annor, a 24-year-old football fan said.

When asked for his comments, a football administrator had this to say: “Piece of cake. We will certainly beat these teams both home and away.

“My only worry though is that when we have easy teams in our group we tend to be complacent until things seem to get out of hand.”

Before the draw, Ghana was included in the first tier of seeds (Pot One), where Africa's top seeds are grouped. The top seed teams were Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Ghana, Tunisia, Egypt, Guinea, Senegal, Mali, Angola, and Togo.

For Africa, the draw created 12 groups of four countries, and each team came from a separate pot.

The winners of each round-robin mini-league plus the best eight runners-up qualify for the third round of qualifiers.

In the European draw, England's campaign will see them reunited with Croatia, the team that killed their Euro 2008 hopes just four days before the draw in Durban. Ukraine are the other big name opponents in Group 6 for the manager-less England team.

Champions Italy will expect progress against Bulgaria, Ireland, Cyprus, Georgia and Montenegro.

Another interesting pairing was found in the Asian draw, which will pitch North Korea against their southern neighbours, South Korea, in Group 3, along with Jordan and Turkmenistan.

Observers are waiting to see how matches between the two countries will impact on the political situation in the Korean Peninsula.

In an interview with fifa.com before the draw, former skipper of Ghana's Black Stars, Abedi Ayew Pele said he was glad that the World Cup has finally come to Africa.

He disclosed that it took hard work, dedication and perseverance for the South Africa 2010 team to bring the soccer mundial to Africa.

"We've been waiting for this moment for almost 100 years and I'm one of the people who has really fought for it to happen," he said.
"It's an honour and a pleasure.

Along with Nelson Mandela, President Thabo Mbeki and Danny Jordaan, we all campaigned hard to bring the competition to Africa and we succeeded. It's a little like winning a World Cup with Africa."

Pele, 43, is also enthusiastic and confident that the event in 2010 will have wide-ranging consequences for the whole continent.

"Beyond football, this competition will bring unity to Africa and give us confidence in ourselves," he said. "We'll showcase our organizational skills and the whole world will agree that the World Cup should come to Africa more often."

The three-time African Footballer of the Year believes the record books back a local side lifting the trophy.

"Only Brazil have won outside their own continent in the history of the World Cup," he said.

"Every continent that has organised the tournament has seen one of its own teams win it. For that reason, I believe Africa's time has come."

Among the continental powers who could prevail, Ghana would have to feature on most people's lists. The Black Stars only made their tournament debut in 2006, but they were the sole African side to survive the group stage and their golden generation will be hoping to make an even more stunning impression next time around.

One player who could help them achieve just that is none other than Abedi's son, Andre Dede Ayew.

The young striker is starting to carve out a reputation for himself at Olympique de Marseille - the club where Pele wrote the most glorious chapters of his own career.

"The whole country thinks he can become the new Abedi Pele," explained his father.

"He will only be 20 in 2010. Let's pray that Ghana qualify so he can play in a World Cup; an opportunity his father never got."

By Mohammed Muniru Kassim