Winning the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations had a significance for coach Hassan Shehata and his Egyptian “Pharaohs” far beyond a record third consecutive title. They arrived in Angola last month desperate to prove they should have been among the five African qualifiers for this year’s World Cup in South Africa. And what better way to make that point than to beat four of them at the Nations Cup — Nigeria, Cameroon, Algeria and Ghana.
The semi-final rout of Algeria was especially sweet as this was the team that eliminated Egypt from the World Cup in November. Ivory Coast were the only World Cup qualifiers Egypt missed as the west Africans made a shock quarter-final exit to Algeria.
Egypt got a taste for the big time in South Africa last year, competing in the World Cup dress-rehearsal Confederations Cup tournament, and far exceeded expectations by losing narrowly to Brazil before stunning Italy. This triumph seemed to drain too much energy from them, though, and they crumbled 3-0 to the US and were eliminated after the first round.
PHOTO: EPA
For the second Nations Cup in succession, the international media placed the Pharaohs among the frontrunners but no one ventured so far as to suggest they could complete a title hat-trick. Just as in Ghana two years ago they were considered a spent force, full of aging players and incapable of conjuring up fresh heroics. Add the loss through injury of team superstar Mohamed Aboutraika, fellow midfielders Mohamed Barakat and Mohamed Shawky and striker Amr Zaki and it appeared this year’s title defense was doomed to fail.
Shehata was his usual quiet, media-shy self and if there were doubts he was not letting anyone know. On the rare occasions he opens up in public, he stresses teamwork over individual brilliance, and he also has an uncanny knack of unearthing fresh talent. Amr Zaki burst onto the international stage with a couple of goals in the 4-1 semi-final thrashing of Ivory Coast two years ago and this time it was the turn of Mohamed ‘Gedo’ Nagy. An attacking midfielder from the unfashionable Al-ad club, Nagy was the supersub who finished leading scorer at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations with five goals.
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