Soccer News of Friday, 13 July 2001

Source: GNA

Ghana's World Cup qualification in the hands of God - Abedi

Abedi Ayew Pele, a member of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) Management Board has said that Ghana's World Cup qualification rests on God and that the dream is not over until the final match is played.

"We leave it to God to decide, because four out of the five countries in the group including Ghana stand a chance of qualifying, and we leave it to God to decide", Pele told the GNA in Accra on Thursday.

He said hitherto, nobody had given the Ghanaians a dog's chance of making to Korea/Japan next year, "but I have always said that it is not over until the final match is played".

Ghana is paired with Nigeria, Liberia, Sudan and Sierra Leone in what has now been tagged the group of uncertainties.

The Super Eagles top the pack on 13 points followed by Liberia who are on 12 while Ghana has bagged in eight points with a game more than the others and Sudan and Sierra Leone are on nine and four points respectively.

Abedi who arrived from the FIFA congress in Argentina on Wednesday expressed optimism of Black Stars victory on Sunday against Sudan in Accra and urged all Ghanaians to keep their fingers crossed so that the "mathematics" works in our favour.

GFA Chairman Ben Koufie, who said the Ghana can only be sure after Sunday's game involving the Stars/Sudan and Liberia and Sierra Leone, further buttressed his points.

Mr Koufie said much as he agrees that it would be very difficult for Liberia to beat Sierra Leon in Freetown, it's not impossible and Ghanaians would only have to hope and pray.

A win by Liberia would mean that Nigeria would have to beat Ghana to qualify, a task many connoisseurs believe would be extremely difficult.