Seven years after his 101st minute goal consigned Tunisia out of the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) jointly hosted by Gabon\/Equatorial Guinea, Black Stars skipper, Andre Ayew, has predicted an end of the road for the north African side when they clash in the Round 16 game at the Ismailia Stadium today, July 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTunisia will fall in Ismailia on Monday,\u201d said 30-year-old Ayew who leads Ghana to another epoch clash in search of their seventh win over the Carthage Eagles at the continent\u2019s most prestigious football competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Football is not only about tactics, it is also about being united as a team and competing for every ball.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We have to be smart too and I have no doubt that the boys will \ndeliver against Tunisia and reach the quarter-finals,” the forward said \nat yesterday\u2019s pre-match press conference in Ismailia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Black Stars remain the favourites ahead of the encounter having previously stunned the Carthage Eagles six times and drawing once. Despite this favourable statistics, Ghana coach Kwasi Appiah, will not be flattered by history and believes his side have what it takes to dispatch Tunisia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI believe in my team and they\u2019ll perform well tomorrow. Football now\n doesn\u2019t depend on history. We\u2019re not the favourites after the former \nchampions and the tournament hosts exited as well as Morocco,\u201d Appiah \nsaid at a pre-match press conference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 59-year-old coach will be looking forward to a befitting birthday present from his charges from which his skipper expressed the optimism that the unity among the players in camp puts them in pole position to deliver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Appiah has also downplayed assertions that the Black Stars are the \nfavourites because giants have unexpectedly fallen casualty in the \ncompetition, and sees the Carthage Eagles as a strong side that cannot \nbe taken for granted. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTomorrow\u2019s match will be entertaining from both sides and Tunisia is\n one of the strong teams in the tournament. As you can see, in this \ncompetition there are no favourites but we\u2019ll give our best,\u201d Appiah \nsaid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Tunisia coach, Alain Giresse, is hoping to change the script for \nthe north Africans by taking consolation in their previous four wins in a\n non-competitive game over the Black Stars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hopefully, he could replicate his 2012 victory over Ghana after he led Mali to douse Ghana\u2019s dreams of winning bronze in the 2012 AFCON.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 66-year-old tactician believes the Black Stars are a strong side \nand beating them will be difficult but he remains hopeful his side are \ncapable of capitalising on the weak points of Ghana to reach the \nquarter-finals..<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGhana is a strong and harmonious team, It has completion in most of \nthe positions but we have analysed them well and we can work on their \nweak points,\u201d Giresse said at the pre-match conference, adding that \nTunisia would do everything possible to remain in the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tunisia player, Taha Yassine Khnissi, said the team would approach \nthis game differently because they wanted to take their country to the \nnext stage of the competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe face Ghana with one aim, which is winning and qualifying and we don\u2019t think about the group stages\u2019 matches. Tomorrow you will see a fresh face for the national team and all the players are united to qualify the Tunisia national team,\u201d Khnissi said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n