Egypt – the country, the football
Situated in the North African and Middle East zone, Egypt is a transcontinental country that has Lybia on the west, the Red Sea on the east, Sudan on the south, Israel and the Gaza Strip on the northeast, and the Mediterranean Sea on the north.
The country covers around 1,010,000 km² and as one of most populated countries in Africa, it counts over 77 million inhabitants.
Egypt’s pride mainly comes from the heritage of the territory’s ancient civilization founded by dark-skinned native peoples that used to populate the area in very ancient times.
The time when Egyptian pharaohs used to rule the African continent has passed away but the country still rules over the continent when it comes to football.
Now Arabic, the Pharaohs of Egypt can boast of being the most successful team on the African continent with 6 Africa Cup of Nations trophies in their cabinet.
Their recent triumph came in the latest edition of the Africa Cup of Nations staged in Ghana. The Egyptians will be hoping to make it an unprecedented three cups in a row when they participate in the upcoming 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.
Such an achievement might brush away the disappointment of missing out again on the finals of the World Cup.
Egypt – the road to the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations
In the second round of the qualification campaign, Egypt were drawn in Group 12 with Malawi, DR Congo, and Djibouti. One defeat in six matches didn’t stop Egypt from progressing comfortably into the next stage.
The Pharaohs topped the group with 15 points and an impressive goal difference of +11. Their easy ride throughout Round 2 was however followed with challenges and fear in Round 3.
Egypt fell in Group C along with Algeria, Zambia, and Rwanda. Their first results were poor but the defending African champions bounced back with a couple of good results to seal their way in the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.
After a hard-fought campaign, Egypt finished level on points with Algeria, with 13 points from a possible 18. This saw them qualify comfortably into the finals of the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.
Egypt – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations group stage
Marked as top seeds, Egypt entered Pot 1 during the draws that took place in Angola on November 20th. They will however affront Nigeria, Benin, and Mozambique at the Complexo da Sr. da Graça in Benguela.
Match-day One:
The most fascinating fixture in the table opens Group C. It will be Egypt v Nigeria on January 12 as the Pharaohs commence the defense of their title.
It’s definitely a difficult game to kick off a campaign but the Egyptians will try and defeat World Cup ticket holders Nigeria so as to comfort themselves from the recent disappointment of missing out on South Africa 2010.
Match-day Two:
Egypt will face Mozambique in the second match-day of the tournament. The game will start at 18:30 GMT on January 16th.
Match-day Three:
Four days later, the Pharaohs are due to meet Benin at 16:00 GMT in their final fixture in the group stage.
Egypt – 2010 Africa Cup of Nations squad
Egypt's coach, Hassan Shehata put up a list made of 23 players. At most fans' deception, the likes of Amr Zaki and Aboutrika have not been included. Striker Mido didn't make the roaster either as he does not fit in the squad tactically, reports from Egypt's camp explained.
Golkeepers:
A. Al-Sayed; E. El Hadary; M. Abolseoud
Defenders:
M. Abdul-Shafi; A. Al Muhamadi; A. El Saka; M. Fathallah; A. Fathi; W. Gomaa; H. Saied; M. Salem
Midfielders:
Shikabala; H. Abd Rabbou; A. Eid; H. Ghaly; A. Hassan; Gedo; A. Tawfik
Attackers:
A. Hamdi; Emad Motaeb; A. Raouf; M. Zidan
Egypt – What to expect from the country and its stars.jpg)
As African champions, Egypt will enter the tournament with confidence and pride. However, their recent failure to reach the finals of the World Cup will definitely give them an alert against the potential of other participants in the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Pharaohs of Egypt will aim for vengeance, consolation, and success on Angola’s soil on the final day of the tournament in January.
The Egyptian national team showcased a lot of good football in the last two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
They play with pace and technique, much to the entertainment of the crowd, and credits should be given to the coach and some particular players on which all eyes will be during the tournament.
Essam El-Hadary
The 36-year-old goalkeeper continues to perform wonders for the Pharaohs of Egypt. His tremendous performance against Italy in the 2009 Confederations Cup offered him a lot of applauds and he is willing to live up to expectations come January.
El-Hadary is a key player for the Egyptian national team and a loss of form at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations might damage the country’s chances of shining on the continental stage.
Hosny Abd Rabo
Hosny Abd Rabo is an important figure in Egypt’s midfield. The number 8 player was voted in the Best XI after impressing the public during CAN 2008. The Pharaohs will need his influence again in order to command the game at the centre of the field.
Mohamed Zidan
Mohamed Zidan will need to carry the heavy load caused by Aboutrika and Amr Zaki's absences. Egypt aim to win their third successive Africa Cup of Nations trophy so the 28-year-old striker is expected to dazzle in front of goal.
He might end up challenging for the tournament’s top scorer award but his focus will be on taking it game by game en route to glory.
Egypt – Africa Cup of Nations record
Egypt won the continent’s first trophy back in 1957 and they imposed themselves strongly since then. They lost once in the final and also picked up three bronze medals.
However, the Pharaohs also endured tough moments at times, crashing out in the first round of the tournament at four occasions.
2010: Qualified
2008, 2006, 1998, 1986, 1959, 1957: Champions
2004, 1992, 1990, 1988: Round 1
2002, 2000, 1996, 1994: Quarter-finalists
1984, 1980, 1976: Fourth place finalists
1974, 1970, 1963: Third place finalists
1962: Runners-up
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