Black Stars Expect No Easy Draw

The stage is set for grueling fixtures in the final qualifying for the 2014 World Cup after ten teams including Ghana booked their places for the last round. Ghana and nine other group winners from the second round qualifiers have confirmed their places for the two-legged play-offs. Algeria, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal and Cameroon are all through to Africa's final qualifying round. Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi, expects every team to be up for the battle to Brazil. "We have a play-off which will be played in October and November. We do not know who our opponents as yet because the draw for that play-off will be conducted in Cairo," Nyantakyi said. As Ghana push for a third-straight appearance at the World Cup, the final round draw which will take place in Cairo on 16 September will determine their next opponents. "The determination as to whether you play home first or away first will be based on balloting. We hope that we get a good ballot that will offer us probably a less formidable opposition that we can surmount," said the GFA President, a day after the Black Stars defeated Zambia to qualify. "At that [final round] stage, you must bear in mind that no team will be cheap. Any team that has made it this far is strong and you cannot underrate any team at all." The Black Stars beat Zambia 2-1 last Friday in Kumasi to progress from Group D, where they bagged in 15 points from a possible 18 points after winning five out of six matches. The draw will be based on the latest Fifa rankings to be released on Thursday and will create five two-leg ties, with the winners going to the finals in Brazil.