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Soccer News of Monday, 14 October 2013

Source: Alhassan Musah in Kumasi

Hearts and Kotoko unite for Black Stars victory

Supporters of Accra Hearts of Oak and Asante Kotoko have joined forces to ensure that the Black Stars record a resounding victory over Egypt in Kumasi on Tuesday.

In a show of unprecedented cooperation and national unity, the CEO of the Phobians Neil Armstrong Mortagbe and his Kotoko counterpart, Opoku Nti, have met their powerful chapters and circles leadership to rally around the Stars. It is even believed that traditional mallams who have been 'working' for the Phobians and Fabulous are in contact and have agreed to deliver a win for Ghana.

The Egyptians, as expected, are also desperate to qualify for the 2014 Fifa World Cup finals and are leaving no stone unturned.

Immediately after the North Africans were drawn with Ghana, they went to consult their famed spiritual oracles in Cairo.

Unfortunately, the prediction of a 3-0 defeat did not go down well with the North African team's spiritualists who have since combed the length and breadth of the continent looking for a reversal.

Officially, the Egyptian FA are said to have planned other religious activities including slaughtering a few cows and sharing its meat to the needy as their way of commemorating Eid al-Adha – an Islamic festival of sacrifice. However, a staunch supporter of Accra Hearts of Oak who lives in Cairo has described the Egyptian sacrifices as an insult.

Fuseini Yassou claims the Egyptian army's slaughter of innocent civilians in the recent unrest will nullify all their sacrifices because the majority of Muslims in that country are praying for revenge against the state. ''I just came from Egypt and trust me, the people are crying to God to punish the rulers and the military so how can they win when people are dying'' exclaimed Yassou. It has also been confirmed The Egypt FA sent three men to Kumasi 48 hours after the draw to seek assistance from Ghanaians with huge sums of cash.

The Egyptian goal keeper and forward Mohamed Aboutrika are reported to have also sent their own ''spiritual man'' to the garden city to work with some locals against Ghana on their behalf. Aboutrika’s plans to open a mosque in Ghana have also been dismissed as spectacular propaganda since residents of the said town are not even aware of any such building plans.

The alleged gesture forms part of mind games and religious strategies employed by the Pharaohs to seek divine help towards securing an unlikely win over the Black Stars in Tuesday’s clash in Kumasi.

Meanwhile Norda hotel in Kumasi is fully booked with only Egyptian guests numbering over 80 but not a single Ghanaian guest.

Ghana FA boss Kwesi Nyantakyi has dismissed reports that a plot to sabotage the Black Stars training and also infiltrate the camp has been foiled. ''All is under control and we are focused on winning the match’’, he added.

Nyantakyi's comments were in reaction to reports in Kumasi that some influential and well known Ghanaians had been paid by the Egyptians to unsettle the Black Stars at Golden Tulip and their training.