Preview: CAF World Cup Qualifying’s first-leg playoffs to close in epic fashion
This Tuesday, Egypt will be united. The political divisions that have put the country into an unsafe place will pause as the national football team will be in Kumasi to fight for World Cup 2014 tickets against African giants Ghana.
The build up to this match has been incredible on both sides. The Black Stars have been promised a bonus fee of $15,000 per player. This massive amount has provoked outrage among a portion of the nation, as Goal.com writer Nana Frimpong reported on Monday.
However, its purpose to serve as maximum motivation for the squad, who finished as runners-up behind champions Egypt at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations, has got the majority of fans backing their heroes all the same. The country is truly obsessed with World Cup fever.
Meanwhile, the Egyptians’ situation is very much different. The call for unity and peace, aside the burning desire to participate in their first World Cup since 1990, is enough to motivate the Pharaohs. As American coach Bob Bradley explained, “in Egypt, everyone speaks about the World Cup dream, regardless of their political background. Qualification could indicate that the country is moving forward.”
“There will always be pressure if you have not qualified for the World Cup for 23 years in a country where football is really loved,” Bob Bradley told CAFonline.com.
“It is the dream of all the people to see this team in Brazil 2014. My goal is to take this team to the World Cup and we are determined to work at it.”
Ghana’s much-mocked 35-year-old goalkeeper Richard ‘Olele’ Kingson will want to prove his critics wrong by putting into play his experience and keeping a clean sheet against the Egyptians. This fact is a plus for the Black Stars alongside the vital presence of stars like Michael Essien, Juventus midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah, Marseille’s Andre Ayew and captain Asamoah Gyan, whose extra-time goal sent Bob Bradley’s USA packing in the Last 16 of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
What sort of African football show staged in Kumasi will football fans in Ghana, Egypt, Canada, UK, USA and the world be treated to on Tuesday, October 15, 2013?
Where to watch the match – live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Ghana vs Egypt live at 12:00 ET / 16:00 GMT / 17:00 BST on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 in these countries:
Canada | beIN Sport Play Canada |
Egypt | Al Jazeera Sport HD2, Al Jazeera Sport 1, Al Jazeera Sport +2 |
Ghana | SuperSport Select, SuperSport 3 Africa, GTV, Metro TV |
United Kingdom | ESPN UK / HD |
United States | SiriusXM FC, beIN Sport en Español, beIN Sport Play, beIN Sport USA |
For live scores of Egypt-Ghana, stay tuned to LiveSoccerTV’s homepage or World Cup Qualifying competition page. For live listings from more countries around the world, visit the match page.