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Greece to play Ukraine in World Cup qualifier

Challenging playoff matches in November for Greece

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20 Oct 2009

Ukraine will be Greece's opponent at the World Cup playoffs next month, according to the draw made in Zurich on Monday.

The first leg will be played in Greece, either at the Olympic Stadium of Athens or the Pankrition Stadium at Iraklion, on November 14.

The second leg is scheduled for November 18, probably at the Olimpiysky stadium in Kiev.

The winner of the home-and-away tie qualifies to the 2010 finals in South Africa.

This was the worst possible draw for Greece, not just because the team led by ex-Chelsea star Andriy Shevchenko was one of the 2006 World Cup quarterfinalists but also because Greece will have to play the second leg away from home, and at the freezing conditions of Kiev in mid-November at that.

Greece team manager Takis Fyssas could not hide his disappointment: "This was arguably one of the teams we had not wanted to be drawn against. Nor did we like having to play the first leg at home.

"But in football in general and in such games as the World Cup playoffs you cannot have preferences and you cannot know what is best or worst. Only the future will tell," he said philosophically.

The only good news for Greece might come should FIFA decide to be really harsh with the Ukrainians for the flares and other objects thrown at the pitch during their home match with England this month and impose a stadium ban on the side coached by Oleksiy Mikhaylychenko.

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