FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke is confident the World Cup playoff between Egypt and Ghana in Cairo will on smoothly despite fresh security concerns.
Egyptian security forces fired teargas to disperse crowds following Al Ahly’s triumph in the Champions League final over Orlando Pirates on Sunday.
The development has cast fresh fears over whether indeed the unstable Egyptian capital is fit enough to host the second-leg World Cup playoff between Egypt and Ghana.
But FIFA general secretary Valcke after meeting a Ghanaian delegation which include Sports Minister Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi and football ambassador Abedi Pele in Lome, Togo on Monday believes the recent security hitch in Egypt will not affect the November 19 clash.
“We have monitored the game [Ahly vrs Pirates], I have got some information last night after the game has ended,†Valcke said.
“And again it’s true there were some movement of fans, there were some use of firework during the game which I think is forbidden by FIFA but altogether the game went OK.
“The game – Egypt-Ghana – will be played in another stadium which is a stadium secured by the army.
“So again I think that nothing which happened last night went against the organization of the game Egypt-Ghana on the 19th.
“And that is why it is so important that this delegation of Ghana has a clear understanding of the level of organization for their game and be reassured that all is made by all of us, CAF, the Egyptian authorities and FIFA to have the best for this final game on the road to the World Cup.
“There were more than 800 games played to qualify for this World Cup for the 31 teams to draw in Brazil for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and nothing major happened during this qualification campaign for let’s say two and a half years so we cannot end up with a problem so that is why it is so important that all is going well.â€
FIFA will be sending a delegation led by Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi to Cairo to assess the security plan laid down for the November 19 clash by the Egyptian authorities.
Ghana carry a commanding 6-1 lead going into the second-leg match against Egypt.