Stop-gap Ghana coach not playing down Sudan threat

Published on: 30 September 2010

Caretaker Ghana coach Akwesi Appiah says we will tackle next month's 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan by the scruff of the neck, leaving nothing to chance.

The ex-Ghana defender has named 20 players-including two newcomers-for the 10 October match in Kumasi and he expects a win to sustain their electric start.

Ghana made a bright start by beating Swaziland 0-3 in Mbabane early this month in their opening Group I qualifier.

Appiah expects his charges not to underrate the Nile Crocidiles, a side they beat 2-0 in Accra last September during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

"Sudan have a good team and they beat Congo 2-0 in their most recent game. The last we played them, the cross bar denied them some scoring opportunities and we can't afford to underrate them," the soft-spoken Appiah told the Ghana News Agency.

"We will approach the game like any big game. It is normal for people to say that we are the favourites judging by our performance at the last World Cup.

"But in modern football, there are no small teams and the game is developing very fast across the world."

Appiah assisted departed Serb Milovan Rajevac to reach the last eight of the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

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