Ralf Zumdick, Ghana's national soccer coach has advised Ghanaians not to concentrate their efforts only on South Africa in their quest for a World Cup berth but to respect every opposition in the group.

Speaking to the GNA Sports on Sunday about the World Cup draws, the coach said every team in Africa has improved and that is manifest in Ghana's loss to perceived minnows such as Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi in the past and stressed that a total fighting spirit is needed to secure the single World Cup ticket from Group Two.

Describing the draw as a good one, the coach said, "we have to face every opposition with 100 percent concentration and with a winning spirit because every country in the group is looking for qualification and the only way we can get it is to prepare very well."

Coach Zumdick said a major part of the issue would be solved if the players are put in the right frame of mind and made to believe that the target of winning the only slot in the group is achievable with hard work.

He said, "we have to build a good team and give the players confidence by respecting them and making them believe in their abilities," adding that a good blend of foreign and local players could provide the tonic for qualification.

The coach said players such as Stephen Appiah, Samuel Osei Kuffour, Michael Essien, John Mensah and Yakubu Abubakari showed a lot of commitment and guidance for the young players and hoped that the relationship will continue and improve the fortunes of the team.

On the other hand, he said, the young players such as Bernard Don Bortey, Kwadwo Poku, Asamoah Gyan and Charles Taylor are budding stars that want to play in Europe and are therefore willing to explode and gain recognition and fame.

On the preparations proper, Zumdick said he was waiting for the schedule of matches and the time-table of the European Champions League before planning his strategy to conform with the FIFA procedures on the release of players to national teams.

He said he would remain in close contact with the players and their coaches and administrators so that he would have an informed knowledge about their form to ensure that only those who are playing regularly are invited to prosecute the World Cup campaign.

The coach said he was able to get the Black Stars to play in Puma jerseys through one of his friends who works for the kit manufacturing giants but added that it was pretty difficult to do that without an agreement.

On talks making the rounds that he would go back to his native Germany to assist Klaus Toppmoller at SV Hamburg in the Bundisliga, the coach said he had not made up his mind on the offer.

He said, he had worked with Toppmoller at Bochum for four years and was enthused by the new offer, but added that the honour of coaching a national team to the World Cup is another enticing thing to consider.

Ghana is drawn in Group Two with South Africa, Burkina Faso, DR Congo, Uganda and Cape Verde and only the group winner qualifies for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.