Kickoff
(Cape Town)
7 October 2008
Ghana midfielder Anthony Annan reckons Lesotho "will give everything" in Saturday's World Cup qualifier against the Black Stars at the Essipong Stadium in Sekondi.
The Southern Africans have not picked up a point in five qualifying games but Annan suspects they will be up for the game that Ghana must win and win well by a good margin.
"We know that today every country in Africa is capable of playing good football and Lesotho will be giving everything," Annan told BBC Sport. "We all have to give our maximum efforts if Ghana is to qualify."
Annan thinks Ghana is in this must-win situation in the final qualifier because the players too the other teams in the group including leaders Libya and second placed Gabon too lightly.
The two sides meet in Libreville simultaneously and Libya will qualify regardless of Ghana's result if they get a draw against Gabon.
"The smaller teams have shown more determination than us and maybe that's why we've lost to Gabon and Libya along the way," he said. "We have to be more serious and do everything possible to win these types of games.
"These countries have seen Ghana do well at the World Cup and African Cup before and so are more motivated when they play us. Their players idolise the likes of Michael Essien and want to do well against our famous players like him."
Ghana must negotiate the crucial the match without Essien but Annan believes they will able to cope without him.
"Essien is very sad not to be available to help his country but the good news is that we have Stephen Appiah back from his own injury," said the 22-year-old midfielder.
"I don't know if the manager will decide that Stephen is ready to start the match but if not we have Sulley Muntari who can also play alongside me in the middle."
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