Maradona hoping for a boost versus Ghana

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Ghana provides coach Diego Maradona with one last chance to get it right before critical qualifiers next month that will determine if Argentina reaches next year's World Cup.

The Albiceleste need a lift, and maybe Ghana -- which faces Argentina on Wednesday in a friendly in the central city of Cordoba -- can supply it.

Both sides will be without their top Europe-based stars. Ghana arrived on Monday minus any player from the team that beat Sudan 2-0 on Sept. 6. That victory made Ghana the first African country to qualify for next year's finals in South Africa. South Africa had already advanced as the host.

Argentina will consist of local players, hoping to impress Maradona and be named to the qualifiers at home against Peru on Oct. 10 and at Uruguay on Oct. 14.

Argentina probably must win both matches to keep its hopes alive of reaching South Africa.

Maradona is being blamed for Argentina's struggle to reach the 32-team finals. In response, he is juggling his squad for next month's qualifiers. Maradona has already dropped seven players who were on the squad in losses last month to Brazil and Paraguay. Gone from the team are Fernando Gago, Javier Zanetti, Jesus Datolo, Maxiliano Rodriguez, Lisandro Lopez, Pablo Carrizo and Nicolas Burdisso.

Maradona has added Real Madrid striker Gonzalo Higuain, who has received his first callup.

Most Argentines seems to lack interest in Wednesday's friendly. The newspaper Clarin reported only 2,000 tickets have been sold in a stadium with a capacity of 46,000.

Brazil and Paraguay lead South American qualifying, and both have already secured places in the World Cup. Chile with 27 points and Ecuador with 23 are next in the standings and in line to claim the region's final two automatic qualifying places.

Argentina has 22 followed by Uruguay and Venezuela with 21. They seem to be battling for fifth place. The No. 5 finisher in South America faces a playoff with the No. 4 for North and Central American and the Caribbean. That is likely to be Honduras or Costa Rica.

Any team finishing in sixth place or lower in South America fails to advance. If it's Argentina, it will be the first World Cup it has missed since 1970, It will also leave the World Cup without many of the world's top players -- like Barcelona's Lionel Messi, Manchester City's Carlos Tevez and Liverpool's Javier Mascherano.