Ghana’s national football team initially expressed reluctance to play the second leg of their World Cup qualifying match against Egypt in Egypt on November 19, citing security concerns. The first leg saw Ghana secure a significant advantage with a 6-1 victory. The Ghanaian team had previously appealed to FIFA to move the return match to a neutral venue, expressing concerns about the socio-political unrest in Egypt.
In response, Egypt insisted on hosting the match on its own soil. FIFA requested Egypt to provide security guarantees for the match by October 28. While awaiting FIFA’s decision on the location, the Egyptian Football Federation has promised a substantial reward of one million dollars to each player if they manage to beat Ghana in the return leg.
This financial incentive serves as motivation for the Egyptian players, who face the challenge of overturning a significant deficit from the first leg. The decision on the match venue will have implications not only for the teams but also for the broader context of football in the region.
