Egyptian national team manager Bob Bradley expresses confidence after the Pharaohs were drawn with Ghana in the African qualifiers playoff to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. “Matches against Ghana will be very tough as the team consists of several players from the biggest European leagues,” American Bradley told reporters Monday after the draw in the CAF headquarters in Cairo.

“There is no need to worry as we could have been paired with any of the five teams and they are all powerful,” he added. We are ready for the matches and I am personally hoping that we can play the second leg in front of our fans,” the 56 year-old tactician said. The first leg of the playoff matches will be between 11 and 15 October in Ghana, with the second leg between 15 and 19 November in Egypt. With domestic competitions frozen due to security concerns, almost all recent continental matches have been held behind closed doors in Hurghada, 430km away from Cairo.

“The attendance of fans would really boost the team in the anticipated crucial clash,” the former United States coach concluded. The winners of seven successive African Cup of Nations have achieved full points in the qualifiers groups stage, topping Group G with 18 points. Egypt’s last game against Ghana was a friendly in January 2013, when the Pharaohs lost 3-0 ahead of the African Cup of Nations (CAN), which they failed to qualify for.

The previous meeting of the two teams was crucial as Egypt, under the country’s most successful coach, Hassan Shehata, defeated Ghana 1-0 in the final of the CAN 2010 to claim their seventh trophy. The Egyptian team is hoping for their first ticket since 1990 to the world’s most prestigious tournament.