Ghana’s head coach Avram Grant (Photo: AP)
Ghana coach Avram Grant believes it's better for his side to play in front of fans as the Black Stars face Egypt in a crucial World Cup qualifier in Alexandria on Sunday.
A long-standing crowd ban in domestic football is not applied in any games featuring the Egyptian national team, who are expected to be roared on by more than 60,000 supporters at Borg El-Arab Stadium in the Mediterranean city.
"To play in a stadium full of fans is better than playing at empty venues," Israeli coach Grant told the pre-match news conference on Saturday.
"I watched some games for Egyptian side Ahly against Ghanaian opponents and they were played behind closed doors. It was surprising for me."
"Playing in a full capacity stadium is better than what happened with Ahly," he added.
The former Chelsea and West Ham United coach has also praised the quality of the Borg El-Arab pitch.
"I inspected the pitch before the news conference. It's better than the Ghana stadium," he said.
Grant also said he was only focused on football, playing down any security issues related to his visit to Egypt.
"We are secured here and I'm only a sports person. Football is a game that promotes unity," he stated.
Uganda temporarily lead the group with four points after holding Ghana to a surprise 0-0 draw before defeating Congo 1-0. Egypt, who earned a 2-1 comeback victory over Congo in their opening game, have three points.
"Our target is to win to keep our hopes. If Egypt win, they will be close to a World Cup place," he concluded.
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