Final Phase of African World Cup Qualifying Continues

Africa's road to the 2010 World Cup heats up this weekend with a full slate of action as countries compete for the 5 available spots in South Africa.

There are already some teams in trouble.

Like Cameroon and Morocco, who have collectively qualified for nine previous World Cup finals. Also in peril are reigning African champions Egypt and the unpredictable Guinea, both of whom were expected to feature among the serious contenders for the finals.

The first match day in March provided a host of surprises. With two more matches in quick succession this month, the picture could soon become a lot clearer.

Both Cameroon and Morocco were humbled in their opening group outings and now go head-to-head in Yaoundé on Sunday. Egypt, having dropped potentially vital points at home, seek to revive their campaign away against long-standing rivals Algeria.

Guinea hope to overturn a run of five successive defeats in head-to-head matches with Ivory Coast when they host a Group E tie in Cotonou, also on Sunday.

Of particular interest is the Group B clash between Kenya and Nigeria.

Nigeria's Super Eagles came under heavy criticism following their opening draw with Mozambique but their recent friendly win over France has restored morale.

Now they are at home against Kenya, whose own build-up has been disrupted by a pay dispute between their coach Antoine Hey and Football Kenya Ltd., which runs the game in the country.

The team left for Nigeria without him but he is now on his way.

Hey is planning to exploit the perceived differences within the Nigeria camp.

"I think they [Nigeria] are very much under pressure at home after the result in Mozambique," Hey said. "We will try and get a result that no-one is expecting," he told the BBC.

Here are the current African qualifying standings.

Over in Group D, Ghana were at the World Cup in Germany and the Black Stars gained a taste for the biggest stage.

They started this round of qualifying with a win but will be missing a series of high-profile players in their squad for a trip to Mali.

Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah, Derek Boateng, Asamoah Gyan and Laryea Kingston are all out of action.

Mali's coach Stephen Keshi will have high hopes of securing a valuable win as he goes into the game with a fully fit squad.

In the other match in this group, Benin host Sudan, who must turn themselves around after a heavy 4-0 defeat in a friendly international against Tunisia.

Benin are hopeful of continuing the good form they showed in the previous round, after their narrow defeat by Ghana.

Squirrels' midfielder Romauld Boco says the team are in good spirits.

"We have played a lot better in the last 5 years, [because] we are the same group of players and we know each other very well," he told the BBC.

"The game against Sudan is the most important game for us."

The top team in each group goes to the World Cup.

Here are all the matches scheduled for this weekend:
Saturday 6 June 

Zambia-Rwanda, Malawi-Burkina Faso, Gabon-Togo, Tunisia-Mozambique

Sunday 7 June

Cameroon-Morocco, Benin-Sudan, Nigeria-Kenya, Guinea-Cote d'Ivoire, Mali-Ghana, Algeria-Egypt

2009 Confederations Cup FAQ

26 Days to Go: 2009 Confederations Cup FAQ

We're 26 days from the start of FIFA's 2010 World Cup dry run in South Africa, the 2009 Confederations Cup.

Like many of you, I have no idea what the Confederations Cup is.

Let's spend the next 26 days previewing the Cup, answering questions and becoming Confederations Cup experts!

First, we'll answer the pressing question of the day: What is the Confederations Cup?
Then we'll preview the teams, the groups, the stadiums and follow the action until a champion is crowned June 28th!

Let's get to it!

The easiest way of starting this is by answering the most important questions.
I'll use a simple Q and A format for this first post.

Q: So, what's the Confederations Cup?

A: The FIFA Confederations Cup is a national team football tournament, held every four years by FIFA. It is contested by the winners of each of the six FIFA confederation championships (Africa, Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Oceania) plus the previous World Cup winner and the host country, bringing the total to eight.

According to the South African Times, 'The eight team championship is now regarded as second only in prestige to the World Cup finals and is hosted 12 months before the World Cup finals in order for Fifa and the Local Organising Committee to test the readiness of their stadiums and infrastructures ahead of the world showpiece. Most coaches and countries regard the 2009 Confederations Cup as a dress rehearsal for the 2010 showpiece.'

Q: When is the Cup?

A: It starts in 26 days, June 14th. It lasts until June 28th. Two weeks.

Q: Who is in the Cup?

A: The eight teams this year are ...

1. South Africa - Host nation
2. Italy - 2006 World Cup champions
3. USA - North American champions
4. Brazil - South American champions
5. Iraq - Asian champions
6. Egypt - African champions
7. Spain - European champions
8. New Zealand - Oceania champions

Q: Where will the matches be held?

A: Four cities will host matches.

1. Johannesburg (Coca Cola Park)
2. Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld Stadium)
3. Bloemfontein (Free State Stadium)
4. Rustenburg (Royal Bafokeng Stadium)

Q: What are the matches, group stages, etc.?

A: The eight teams are divided into two groups, A and B. A random draw was held and teams from the same confederation were not drawn into the same group
Here's how it breaks down ...



Group A
South Africa
Iraq
New Zealand
Spain

Group B
USA
Italy
Brazil
Egypt

The most anticipated first round matchup takes place on June 21st when Brazil takes on defending world champions Italy.

Brazil are defending Confederations Cup champions. The 5-time world champions beat Argentina in the final in Germany in 2005.

Q: What's the schedule?

A: Please click here for a match schedule.

Q: Where's the final held?

A: The top two teams in each group advance to the knock out stages.
Group winners will face the other group's runner-up in the semifinals.
The final will be held June 28th in Johannesburg's Coca Cola Park.

Q: Any history?

A: I've no clue. But how about we scour the 'net for some answers?

According to Wikipedia, the tournament has its origins in the King Fahd Cup, held in Saudi Arabia in 1992 and 1995 and contested by the Saudi Arabian national side and a few continental champions.

FIFA took over the running of the competition in 1997, renaming it the FIFA Confederations Cup and staging the tournament every two years up until 2005.

In 2005, FIFA decided to hold the tournament every four years - one year before the World Cup, in the World Cup host country - making it more or less an official dress rehearsal for the World Cup.

Previous Confederations Cup tournaments:

• 1997: Saudi Arabia (winner Brazil)
• 1999: Mexico (winner Mexico)
• 2001: South Korea/Japan (winner France)
• 2003: France (winner France)
• 2005: Germany (winner Brazil)

See Ya Amr Zaki!

Amr Zaki's stint at English side Wigan looks to be over.

Wigan manager Steve Bruce has confirmed he will not be signing the Egyptian striker on a permanent basis.

Zaki joined Wigan in July 2008 on a year-long loan deal from home-country club Zamalek and was an instant hit, with eight goals in his first 10 games.

But the goals dried up. Zaki's been hit by injuries and the 26-year-old angered Bruce after returning late from international duty on four separate occasions.

"We will not be taking the option to sign him when his loan ends,"Bruce said.

Zaki missed Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Stoke City because of a knee problem and he will not be fit for the final game of the season at home to Portsmouth.

He has not scored from open play since mid-October and his last goal came on December 28. Zaki has been affected by injuries but the deterioration of his relationship with Bruce has cost him a permanent deal.

In early April he was fined for the fourth successive time after returning late from international duty, leading to Bruce saying Zaki was "the most unprofessional (player) I have worked with."

Zaki has played only three times since then and a knee injury sustained at West Brom on May 9th means he's almost certainly played his last game for Wigan.

Bruce also felt the player, who scored twice in a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool in October, allowed his head to be turned by links to Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool after making an early impact on the Premier League.

"The writing has been on the wall for a while now but it's a shame, it really is," he added.

"There was no doubt Zaki had the world at his feet last October when he scored those two goals against Liverpool at Anfield. He had a wonderful chance over here but he was badly advised I think, he listened to the wrong people.

"If he had listened to the people he should have done - his adviser is a decent fellow - he would have been okay. It's a shame it's worked out this way, he set us on fire with those goals earlier in the season. But Zaki hasn't scored from open play since Liverpool. We've missed him in that respect but there you go."

Bruce also has other major decisions to make as Zaki's compatriot and fellow striker Mido is coming to the end of his loan spell from Middlesbrough.

MY POV: Looks like Zaki let the accolades get to his head. His form dipped after the Liverpool match. Do you think a big club like Madrid would fancy his services after his precipitous drop? Might mean Zaki makes his way back to Egypt. Too bad.

Amr Zaki's in Trouble

Egyptian striker Amr Zaki was the revelation of the English Premier League a few months ago.

With 10 goals through October for club team Wigan Athletic, Zaki was the leading scorer in England and being hotly pursued by clubs such as Chelsea and Manchester United.

Now? He's in the dog house. And not likely to get out any time soon.

Wigan manager Steve Bruce is set to hold talks with Zaki about his future on Friday.

The on-loan striker, who flew back to England on Thursday, had been expected back at Wigan last Tuesday following international duty on March 29th.

"I find it very difficult to contemplate where his future is at the moment, bearing in mind how I feel on the situation," said an irate Bruce.

"It's probably the fifth time (it has happened) and that cannot be the case."

Zaki is on loan at Wigan from Egyptian side El Zamalek until the end of the season.

Speaking ahead of his side's Premier League game against Arsenal on Saturday, Bruce was still clearly angry when he spoke about Zaki's behavior.

"Whether he has a problem at home, or he is missing home, then we will have to wait and see what his view of the situation is," he said.

"But my job is to manage the team, the club, and if everybody took his stance then we would be in a sorry mess.

"To not show up and show a lack of respect is unacceptable and as I've said, it's not the first time. It has been a recurring thing. In my opinion it's totally shocking. If you have an employee who does what he wants to do, then of course you're going to be upset and disappointed.

"For me, it's been a ridiculous challenge, particularly when you consider it wasn't so long ago he was everybody's cup of tea and playing well."

The striker's agent, Nader Shawky, told BBC Sport he could "fully understand" Bruce's anger.

"Amr was wrong not to return to Wigan on time," he said. "Now he is keen to discuss everything with the manager and hopefully move on.

"We have to remember that without Zaki, Wigan wouldn't be in the position they are now. Similarly, without Wigan, Zaki wouldn't be as highly regarded as he is."

Shawky said Zaki was keen to continue playing in England next season and that "several" clubs had made inquiries about him.

MY POV: If you were a club like Chelsea or Man U, would you want this guy on your team?

He's a malcontent. He does what he wants, when he wants and doesn't seem to respect the team or his manager, according to his actions. Maybe there's more to this than meets the eye. If so, I'm sure we'll find out when Wigan manager Bruce does.

Still, talk about devaluing yourself. Zaki better shape up or he's not going to stick around for long. He may have set England ablaze his first few months, but defenses have figured him out. He hasn't scored in open play since October 18th.

Shape up, Mr. Zaki!

Aboutrika BBC Interview

Here, a BBC interview with Egypt's Mohamed Aboutrika ahead of receiving the BBC African Footballer of the Year award. Interesting when he says he'd like to play for a top European club some day ...

To read the full interview, please click above.

Inas Mazhar: What does it mean to you to win the BBC African Footballer of the Year Award?

Mohamed Aboutrika: Of course this award is a prize, a wonderful present to me. Egyptian players have been nominees in the last few years - I remember seeing my teammate Mohamed Barakat win it too. Also, two years ago I remember when I was in the nominees for the BBC's African Footballer of the Year and reached second position. Luckily this year I came top of the list and won it. It's an honour for both Egyptian football and my club Al Ahly, I am very happy to be the winner for this year's edition.

What was 2008 like for you, with the Nations Cup and the Champions League with Al Ahly?

Aboutrika: 2008 was a tremendous year. It started in the best possible way when we were crowned champions of Africa for the sixth time and ended with a victorious African Champions league season, which I believe we rightly deserved.Overall it was an opportunity for me and my team-mates to play attractive football and be a showcase for Egyptian football across the world.

What can you achieve with Egypt in the future, in 2010?

Aboutrika: We're going to be put to the test with the challenges of our international duties coming up. Going to South Africa for the Confederations Cup won't be an easy ride and it couldn't get more intense as we're reaching the final stages of the World Cup qualifiers. We're expecting fierce competition with our group opponents. Our ultimate aim will most definitely be reaching the 2010 World Cup finals.

You've recently turned down an offer to play professionally in Saudi Arabia and to remain with Al Ahly. What do you think about your career with Al Ahly?

As long as my "flame of goals" is still lit and glowing I will keep playing football. I'll keep pushing myself to the max. Once that flair has gone, then there will be a time where I will have to stop and realise I've worked hard, achieved my goals and dreams, and say farewell to the game, to the world of football. But so far my goals are still alive - for both my club and my national team.

You've received many offers also to play in Europe, but why have we never seen you in Europe?

Aboutrika: I've received many offers from many clubs but most of them were not honourable enough for my club to consider. However I do still have the desire to excel and play for a big team in Europe, and as long as the offer is sufficient enough for Al Ahly I believe they won't prevent me from leaving and achieving one of my wishes in football.

African Teams Slide Down World Rankings

FIFA released their world rankings last week and African teams feel heavily ... ouch!

Cameroon dropped two places to 16th and are now the only African side in the top 20.

Nigeria were 17th but have fallen six places to 23rd in February's list.

The biggest decline sees African champions Egypt drop 15 places from 15th to 30th position.

The Pharaohs' slump in the table is due to less importance being placed on their results over the last three years - namely their successes at the African Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2008.

The wider decline in the rankings of African teams is caused by the fact that FIFA place more emphasis on recent results than those over the past four years.

Ghana's Black Stars are down 10 places to 35th, while Ivory Coast are down nine places to 36th.

The only non-movers from Africa in the top 50 are Morocco, who remain in 41st position.

The African sides that dropped down this month will be looking to improve on their positions in the upcoming final round of World Cup and African Cup of Nations qualifiers, which begin next month.

A Slew of African Friendlies

Tomorrow is World Cup qualifying for some of the world (USA-Mexico and some Asian Cup qualifying).

For Africa, it's all about getting ready for March's final Cup qualifiers.

With that in mind, the BBC's Durosimi Thomas looks ahead at the African friendly matches taking place on Wednesday ...

Nigeria play Jamaica in London.
Tunisia squares off against the always-tough Holland.
Reigning African champions Egypt play Ghana in Cairo.
South Africa plays Chile in Polokwane and Turkey takes on the Ivory Coast in Izmir.

Following is the Nigeria-Jamaica preview. Please click the link for a full preview.

This game is certain to attract a big crowd, given the large Jamaican and Nigerian communities living in London.

The John Barnes-coached Reggae Boyz are way below the Super Eagles in the world rankings, and Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu has named a strong squad.

Chelsea's Jon Obi Mikel, Joseph Yobo of Everton and Portsmouth's Nwankwo Kanu are set to turn out.

Amodu has stressed he sees the game as a crucial part of his preparations for the 2010 World Cup qualifiers, which begin in March.

Mido Moves to Wigan

Remember Mido?

The temperamental Egyptian striker is set to join England's Wigan Athletic from England's Middlesbrough until the end of the season.

The 25-year-old will replace striker Emile Heskey, who looks to be on the verge of signing for Aston Villa. Mido will join fellow Egyptian Amr Zaki, who has been a revelation for the Latics this season, scoring 11 goals in all competitions.

Wigan manager Steve Bruce said: "Mido has played for some huge European clubs, where he gained Champions League and UEFA Cup experience."

Mido has scored four goals in 13 appearances for struggling Middlesbrough this season.

But with all the positives come negatives. He's known for being an extraordinary diva.

In 2004, Egypt coach Marco Tardelli dropped Mido from the squad after the striker claimed to be unavailable due to an injury. But he played in a friendly match for Roma 24 hours later. A day later, Mido rejected accusations that he refused to play for his country.

Ultimately, the Egyptian Football Federation announced that he would not play for the team again. However, Tardelli was sacked as Egypt coach and in January 2005 the Egyptian Football Association said they would consider bringing Mido back into the team if he were to apologize for his past behavior. Mido flew to Egypt, apologized and the following month he was recalled by the national team.

Oh, but that's not all ...

Mido was thrown out of the Egypt team during the 2006 African Cup of Nations because of an argument with coach Hassan Shehata in the semi-final game against Senegal, which started after Mido reacted badly to being substituted.

His replacement and now Wigan team mate Amr Zaki came on to score a header with his first touch, putting Egypt into the final.

A day later, Mido reconciled with Shehata, but was given a six-month suspension from the team. He was eventually recalled in time for 2008 African Cup of Nations qualifying.

Mido was included in the Egypt squad to play South Africa in London in November 2006, despite suffering from a knee injury at the time. He was however left out of the Egypt squad to play Mauritania in an African Cup qualifier in March 2007.

He was not part of the squad that won the 2008 African Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Talented? Yes. Moody? Very much so. Should be interesting to see how he fits in with Zaki at Wigan. You never know with the diva known as Mido ...

Aboutrika Wins 2008 BBC African Footballer of the Year

Congratulations to Mohamed Aboutrika, who won the 2008 BBC African Footballer of the Year award yesterday.

This, from the BBC:

The midfield star won by an overwhelming majority - taking more than half of the total ballot.

More than 155,000 people cast their votes for the BBC award - the only one of its kind to be decided by football fans around the world.

Aboutrika beat the 2007 winner Emmanuel Adebayor, Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o and Amr Zaki to the title.

The award is recognition for a magnificent year for the player, in which he helped his country to win the Africa Cup of Nations and his club to take the African Champions League for a record sixth time.

"2008 was a tremendous year," Aboutrika told the BBC's African sports programme Fast Track.

"It was an opportunity for me and my team-mates to be a showcase for Egyptian football, across the world."

Aboutrika scored the winning goal for Egypt in the Pharaohs' triumph at the Nations Cup in Ghana.

He also set up several goals in the final of the Champions League, as Al Ahly claimed the continental title yet again.

"This prize is a wonderful present for me," Aboutrika said.

"It's an honour both for Egyptian football and for my club Al Ahly - I am very happy to be this year's winner of the BBC African Footballer of the Year award."

His coach at Al Ahly, Manuel Jose, said Mohamed Aboutrika richly deserved his award.

"Aboutrika is the key player," he said.

"What the other players can't do, he can do. He is fantastic player and a fantastic person.

"I agree with this award because for me he is the best player playing in Africa for the last five years, every year he is the best."

Aboutrika is the second Egyptian to win the award - after his club and international colleague Mohamed Barakat, who won in 2005.

Didn't I say he'd win? Congratulations!

Al Ahly Becoming Paranoid Before Club Cup Opener?

Al Ahly are in Japan for the FIFA Club World Cup and while they hold allusions of winning the tournament this time around, their anxiety is beginning to show.

Yesterday, Ahly coach Manuel Jose accused their first-round opponents, Mexico's Pachuca, of sending spies to their training camp.

"Three spies from Pachuca came to inspect our practice today," he said.

"It's not fair. We didn't watch their practice. It's not fair."

Jose stressed the importance of his team achieving a good result in their opening game.

"[Saturday's] game is the same as the final for Al Ahly and Pachuca," he said.

"The losers will go to a playoff for fifth and sixth places. It's a very important game."

Jose also stressed how difficult it is for teams outside of Europe and South America to advance in the tournament.

Days ago, he claimed his side were only aiming for third place in the competition.

"For the European and South American clubs, they just go to a third-place play-off even if they lose. They can reach the final by winning only one game. Anyway, we just go into the match thinking it's the final," he said.

Talking about their Mexican opponents, the Portuguese-based coach said, "Pachuca change their tactics quite often and they also want to have a better result than they did last year, but I think we are more comfortable, because we know each other very well and we have the same 3-5-2 formation."

Pachuca have not yet responded to Jose's spying accusations, focusing instead on gaining "revenge" after losing to Etoile last year.

"We believe in revenge," Pachuca's Argentine striker Bruno Marioni said.

"We are thinking about playing in a final against Manchester United. For now, we will fight this match in front of us as if it was a final." Honestly, we feel we lost for no reasons last year," Pachuca coach Enrique Meza added.

"We aim to take the first match this year, as a matter of course, and go still higher - up to the top spot."

The winners face South American champions Liga de Quito (LDU) of Ecuador in the semi-finals on Wednesday, with the victors in that match progressing to likely meet Manchester United in the final.

MY POV: Breathe in, breath out Mr. Jose! No need to get too crazy about this match!

It's evident that Jose and Ahly are taking this tournament very seriously. While that's understandable, the team needs to focus on the game and not on conspiracy theories.

Ahly is more than capable of making it to the final - provided they lay off the caffeine and RELAX!

The Case for Mohamed Aboutrika

As we close in on the time to select an African Player of the Year, how about Egypt's Mohamed Aboutrika?

Aboutrika sports an excellent resume: he's won 2 African Cup of Nations with Egypt, won 3 African Champions Leagues with Egyptian club team Al Ahly and conquered 4 league titles with the Egyptian powerhouse.

On top of that, he's heralded as 'the Egyptian Zinedine Zidane for his technical skill and excellent vision of the field.' Nice comparisons, eh?

As Aboutrika's Wikipedia entry says, 'Aboutrika's contribution came not only in finding the net but also in creating from his playmaking role behind the strikers. His offensive skills were best demonstrated in his timing, as he often chose the right moment to come forward for shots on goal. He has recently been dubbed "The Smiling Assassin" by foreign media because of his two main trademarks: goalscoring and smiling. He is renowned in Egypt for his modest personality and kind heart. His trade mark celebration after a goal is to prostrate on the ground in submission and praise of Allah.'

So why is the man not on the short list for FIFA World Player of the Year?

Good question and one I can't answer ... it seems Aboutrika fills all the requirements, winning titles and excelling in his role.

The Guardian's Paul Doyle questions this and France Football's awarding of the Ballon d'Or, their annual award for best player of the year (won by Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo this season) in an article this week ... It's a great read and makes the case for Mohamed Aboutrika ...

But for the strongest claim of all we should look to an inspirational player who is the creative fulcrum of both his club and his country, with whom he this season achieved everything he possibly could. He won his domestic championship and the African champions league with his club while taking the continental crown with his country, even scoring the winner in the final, his fourth goal of a tremendous tournament. Scandalously, the France Football editorial team who selected the 30 players for whom their worldwide panel of journalists are allowed to vote overlooked the Al Ahly and Egypt playmaker Mohamed Aboutrika.

Fifa won't compensate for this offensive anomaly. Their shortlist doesn't include Aboutrika either. Nor anyone else from Egypt's recent vintage. Hardly surprising given that Fifa doesn't even rank Egypt, winners of the last two African Cups of Nations, as the best team in Africa. Not enough Europe-based players, perhaps.

Something to keep in mind when voting for your BBC African Player of the Year? Hmm ...

Al Ahly Win 6th African Championship

Congratulations to Al Ahly, who won the 2008 African Champions League this morning, defeating Cameroon's Coton Sport 4-2 on aggregate, drawing 2-2 in today's match.

The victory gives Egypt's Ahly their record 6th title, the most of any club in African continental football.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg in Cairo a fortnight ago – where goals from Wael Gomaa and Flavio separated the teams – Manuel Jose’s side were always favorites to win their third Champions League crown in four years. But Ahly weathered a persistent 2nd-half storm from Coton to hold on to the game.

The Egyptians dealt Coton’s slim hopes of a comeback a grievous blow in the 38th minute when, on the counter, Ahmed Hassan flicked home a goal with the outside of his right foot following a short-corner routine between Gilberto and Mohamed Aboutrika.

The Egyptian’s goal stunned Coton and hushed the previously boisterous and optimistic home crowd.

However, Coton drew level on the stroke of half time when Karim Abdoul fired in a low shot from just inside the penalty area after great work from striker Kamilou Daouda.

Just past the hour mark Baba Ousmaila capitalised on the utter dominance of Coton and made it 2-1, heading into an empty net after a great set piece from the hosts.

But Ousmaila and Daouda were guilty of spurning several great chances for Coton, who could have won the game by a landslide and pulled off an almost miraculous comeback had they been more composed in front of goal.

Al Ahly skipper Shady Mohamed sealed the title for his side in the final minute of injury time, scoring from the penalty spot to make it 2-2 after Andre Ndame had pushed over Mohamed Barakat.

The Egyptians will go on to represent Africa at the FIFA Club World Cup at the end of the year.

Congratulations, Al Ahly! Enjoy your championship!

Best Current African Player?

So who is the best African footballer right now?

The debate rages ...

Over on MTN African Football, one of the premier African football news sites and sponsor of both the African Cup of Nations and African Champions League, there's a vote updated daily tracking the Top 20 African players in world football.

So who is #1 right now?

That would be Egyptian striker Amr Zaki, currently on loan from Egyptian squad El Zamalek with English Premier League side Wigan.

The guy's on fire, having scored 7 goals in just 9 games with the Latics. Not bad ...

People are raving about the 25-year old international.

Wigan chairman Dave Whelan compared him to a certain former English international:

When you look at this lad and his build, he is the same height, weight, everything about him, he is like Alan Shearer. He has the same confidence when he gets the ball, he knows where the goal is, he doesn't need to look up, he has this instinct. Strikers like that have an instinct as to where the goal is. You can't describe it, you can't give it to anybody.

That's a very nice compliment!

Numbers 2-5 are Didier Drogba, Egyptian Mohamed Zidan, Samuel Eto'o and Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor.

No surprises there.

The Toure brothers, Yaya and Kolo, come in at #5 and #6 with the injured Michael Essien at #8 and Sevilla scorer Frederic Kanoute at #10 ...

So? What do you think? Who is the best right now???

Egyptian Derby: Al Ahly v. Zamalek

African football often gets pushed aside in the international footballing press.

It's either too foreign to most journalists or not interesting enough for their tastes.

That's one reason today's piece about the Al Ahly-Zamalek derby in the Guardian was such a pleasure to see.

The article doesn't paint the most flattering image of Egyptian football, the reigning kings of Africa. It describes senseless violence, nationalism and a deep hatred between the clubs.

But it also exposes what football means to many people: an escape from the hum-drum of every day life.

As many of you know, Al Ahly is the most successful club in African football. They've won the last four league titles (33 in all), two of the last three African Champions Leagues and enjoyed a record-breaking 55 match unbeaten run.

Zamalek are pretty successful themselves, having also won 5 African Championships (tied with Al Ahly for most on the continent).

Reporter James Montague braved the insanity to cover the most recent contest between the two squads, which is set to be contested again this weekend in the African Champions League group stages this weekend.

Not that he wasn't dissuaded from going. Upon arrival to the Cairo airport, a cherry taxi driver asked where he was going. When told he was off to the derby, the driver said "Do not go. You will be killed."

Heady stuff indeed. To read the article, click here. Here's a free sample.

When I arrived at the Cairo International Stadium, it was clear the authorities weren't taking any risks. The concourse leading to the stadium was swamped with black-clad riot police and plain-clothes officers, randomly hauling out supporters and taking them away to be searched. It felt more like temporary, localised martial law than a football match. Inside, Ahly's Ultra group was already in fine voice, hours before the kick off.

"Ahly was the first ever [football club] to be 100% Egyptian so it is very nationalistic but Zamalek has changed their name so many times we sing: 'You used to be half British, you guys are the rejects'. In Arabic it's the plural of 'Small dirty houses,'" explained Asad, the organisation's leader. "The two biggest political parties in Egypt are Ahly and Zamalek. It's bigger than politics. It's more about escapism. The average Ahly fan is a guy who lives in a one bedroom flat with his wife, mother-in-law and five kids. And he is getting paid minimum wage and his life sucks. The only good thing about his life is that for two hours on a Friday he goes to the stadium and watches Ahly. That's why it is such an obligation to win every game. It makes people's lives happy. We are probably the only club in the world where we [the fans] expect to win every single game."

Egypt Keeper Feels the Heat

Sometimes winning trophies is not enough.

Ask Fabio Capello all about that. He's won the Spanish championship twice with Real Madrid and been fired right after the celebrations both times ...

This time, it's Egyptian goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari who is feeling the heat.

Al Hadari was instrumental in helping Egypt win their second consecutive African Cup of Nations title this past February.

So even though Egypt lost to two-time World Cup winners Argentina 2-0 in Cairo yesterday, why was Al Hadari being booed so vociferously?

Well, his fall from grace probably began right after he tried to join Swiss club FC Sion in late February without the consent of his current club, Al Ahly, the most successful team in Egypt.

Al Hadari, 35, had sought to terminate his contract in line with Article 17 of FIFA's transfer regulations which allows players to cancel their contracts after a "protected period".

Al Hadari had hoped that, because of his extended service at Ahly, he would be allowed to end his contract and move to Sion for a compensatory payment of 270,000 euros, the equivalent of the rest of his contract with the Cairo club.

After being unveiled as a new signing by Sion and agreeing a deal until 2011, Al Hadari returned to Egypt at the start of the month when it became clear he could not make the move because he had not given Al Ahly the required notice period.

Confusing, no? Basically, he tried to leave and Al Ahly said no.

The move has sparked an unprecedented wave of anger from club supporters and a rare, though unsuccessful, intervention by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to ease the tension.

During the match against Argentina, large sections of the crowd at Cairo stadium booed Al Hadari every time he touched the ball.

And when his ill positioning allowed Argentine defender Nicolas Burdisso to score the second goal, many grabbed the opportunity to gloat.

"I whistled every time he touched the ball and will do this at every game for the national team as long as he is still playing," 31-year-old Al Ahly supporter Sherif Abdel-Rahman told Reuters.

"He (Al Hadari) has erected a wall between himself and the Al Ahly fans, and this wall will never be brought down," said Egyptian FA Vice President Ahmed Shoubeir.

Many supporters still call for the goalkeeper to be expelled from the club and others said he should never be allowed to play for Egypt again.

Egyptian media have given what they described as the "Al Hadari crisis" front-page treatment next to stories about nationwide bread shortages.

The situation could become unbearable for Mr. Al Hadari, if it isn't already so ...

African Squads in Midweek Friendlies

Much of the world played World Cup qualifying last night.

Others played friendlies in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.

Africa was no exception as the continent prepares itself for the much-anticipated 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

First up, African champions Egypt were beaten 2-0 by the world's top ranked side, Argentina.

A full strength Egypt side, including controversial keeper Essam El Hadary, conceded two goals in the last 20 minutes to go down to the South American giants.

But in Pretoria, the upcoming World Cup hosts, South Africa, secured a deserved 3-0 victory over their own South American opposition, Paraguay.

In the process, striker Benni McCarthy became his country's top international goalscorer.

In other matches, Ghana lost to Mexico 2-1.

Ghana took the lead in this game, held at Fulham's Craven Cottage ground in London, but they were not able to hold on to it.

After a goalless first half, Michael Essien gave the Black Stars the lead with a driving shot from outside the area, which went in off the post.

But Mexico equalised in simple fashion, when Ghana's substitute goalkeeper, Patrick Antwi, slipped as he prepared to deal with a back pass.

Carlos Salcido punished his mistake.

Four minutes from time, Ghana captain John Mensah hauled down Adolfo Bautista in the box and Mexico's Pavel Pardo stepped up to convert the penalty and give his side the win.

Also, Morocco bounced back from their dreadful Cup of Nations campaign with a 4-1 win over Belgium.

It was a first win for stand-in coach Fathi Jamal, who took over after the departure of Henri Michel.

"After our dramatic exit in the Africa Cup, this really feels great. It has been a long time since we played like this," Morocco playmaker Mbark Boussoufa said.

Tunisia met Ivory Coast in France, and came away with a 2-0 win.

Goals from Tijani Belaid and Radhouane Felhi gave Roger Lemerre's side victory, although the coach is soon to leave his post.

Liberia scored a surprise 2-0 win over Sudan in Khartoum, in their first game under new coach Antoine Hey.

The first result of the day was a 1-1 draw between Uganda and Libya in Kampala.

Caesar Okhuti put the Cranes ahead in the 48th minute, with the equalizer coming in the 90th minute from Younes Shidani.

DR Congo and Algeria were in France for another match taking place near Paris.

Dieumerci Mbokani put the Simbas ahead in the 35th minute, but a late penalty converted by Kamel Ghiles meant the game ended 1-1.

Tanzania's game against Mozambique was canceled due to heavy rains at the old national stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Mozambique turned down a proposal to have the match played on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Zimbabwe beat Botswana 1-0 in Gaborone, with the goal scored by Cuthbert Malajila.

Update on El-Hadary Transfer

Last week, we told you about Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary's transfer from Al Ahly to FC Sion. Things weren't going too well.

Al Ahly didn't want to let him go. FC Sion said they had a deal in place. The usual transfer battle being played out, this time with Africa's best goalkeeper in the middle.

Well we finally have some resolution.

El-Hadary is back in Egypt with Al Ahly.

The best goalkeeper in the recent African Cup of Nations signed a four-year contract with Swiss Super League club FC Sion earlier this season without the approval of his current employers Al Ahly which caused shockwaves in Egypt and a huge dispute between the two clubs.

The Swiss were hoping that the player could move on the basis of a landmark ruling by world sport's highest court, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the Egyptians weren't having any of it.

So the keeper was introduced by FC Sion in a press conference on Thursday morning. But today, El-Hadary confirmed his return to Cairo.

"I made a stupid mistake and I decided to return to Al Ahly" the 35-year-old said.

"I talked to a lawyer and understood that I stand no chance of moving to Sion without the approval of Al Ahly" El-Hadary admitted.

"I was motivated by the move to Europe but I hope that the Ahly officials will understand my situation."

The Cairo based club refused to comment on the situation but confirmed that El-Hadary will be meeting with the club's football committee before taking any action.

Updates to come. Sticky situation. Can't blame the guy for wanting to go to Europe, but maybe he should have read the fine print first.

Egyptian's Transfer Causing Problems in Europe

Success has a way of causing lots of joy and by virtue, lots of trouble.

It happens all the time in sports. The moment a team or player becomes successful, the opportunity for more riches or more glory is seen. It's almost as if success breeds trouble.

This is now being experienced by Egyptian club Al Ahly and Egyptian goal keeper Essam El-Hadary. He won the African Cup of Nations with Egypt a few weeks ago and immediately looked to cash in on his success, signing with Swiss club FC Sion on February 14th.

But Sion admit he's still a player for Egyptian club giants Al Ahly and they hope the 5-time African champions will let him play for them.

Al Ahly don't want him to leave. They've written to FIFA and to the Swiss Football Federation in a bid to block El-Hadary's attempts to join Sion.

They are demanding that football's world governing body protect their rights.

The goalkeeper is under contract with Ahly until 2010.

El-Hadary believes he's entitled to move under a FIFA article which lets players who are over 28 years old and have been with a club for two years to buy out the remainder of their contract.

Al Ahly board member Khaled Mortagy says that they will not let El-Hadary leave.

"There is no way the club has agreed to sell the player, because we have only three goalkeepers registered," Mortagy told BBC Sport.

"El-Hadary has an existing contract until 2010, he's already played in the second round of the league, and he's registered for the Champions League. To my knowledge there's nothing in his contract that allows him to terminate it unilaterally."

This could get dicey.

The five-time African club champions had already rejected a $400,000 offer from the Swiss Super League side in the wake of El-Hadary's thrilling play at the recent Cup of Nations.

Ahly rejected the offer on the basis that it was not good enough for the man regarded by many as the best goalkeeper in Africa.

El-Hadary is currently in Switzerland and the club is not happy over the attempts to engineer the move on his own.

"We sent a very clear letter to FIFA and the Swiss federation, refusing to send the international transfer certificate for the player," said Mortagy.

"We urged the Swiss federation to send the player back as soon as possible. Al Ahly will reserve all its rights to take all appropriate legal action against the player, the club and any other party that deprives Al Ahly from its rights."

The Egyptian goalkeeper is not expected to stay in Switzerland for long.

He will be using his stay there to put himself in the shop window for a bigger European club.

Reactions to the African Cup Final

So it's over, with the defending champions Egypt retaining their African title thanks to a 1-0 victory over Cameroon. That's their sixth African championship, more than anyone else.

One could say the howler by Cameroon captain Rigobert Song handed the title to the Egyptians. But that would be a bit unfair.
Even today, word comes from Cameroon that Song's teammates don't blame him for the loss.

Song, who was playing in his seventh Cup of Nations, lost possession to Mohamed Zidan on the edge of his area and allowed the Hamburg striker to set up Mohamed Aboutrika for an easy finish in the 77th minute on Sunday.

"We played a good game but we conceded a goal at a very bad time," said Song, who had been gunning for a third continental triumph after lifting the trophy in 2000 and 2002.

"Even if everybody has not been on top, all the players gave their best. I will continue with the national team. It is not because things did not go the right way that I am going to retire," the 31-year-old centre back added.

Right back Geremi, who with Song and Samuel Eto'o was playing in his third Nations Cup final, denied that age was a factor.

"We're disappointed but in football, when someone makes a mistake, you can't blame them because it happens," he said.

"It was special for me and Rigobert and Eto'o because it would have been our third Nations Cup and we're really disappointed. It's not a question of age, you are confusing age and experience," the 29-year-old added. "This is my fifth Nations Cup, I started young."

Let's be fair: Egypt was the better team, creating most of the scoring chances with their speed and mobility. Cameroon rarely troubled the Pharaohs.

Egypt was compact in midfield, tenacious in defense and quick on the counter. Cameroon tried but couldn't wedge through the defensive-minded Egyptians.

Even with that, the score was still 0-0 before the error by Song.

Why the Egyptian dominance in international play?

One factor could be the strength of their club football.

Only two players based abroad started Sunday's 1-0 win, with defender Wael Gomaa and captain Ahmed Hassan playing respectively at Al Siliya of Qatar and Belgian club Anderlecht.

Most of the others play together with five-time African champions Al Ahly, giving fluidity to the Pharaohs' play, while several are from Egyptian rivals Ismaili.

"The Egyptian clubs are often brilliant in the African Champions League," says Angel Marcos, who coached Ismaili for a spell during the 1990s.

The Argentine, now a consultant for French sports daily L'Equipe's Web site, added: "The clubs have very good structures, with a lot of effort being made in the academies. They have tactical courses, making the Egyptian clubs play like the South Americans and the Europeans. Undoubtedly, it is what gives the Pharaohs the edge over the other teams in Africa."

Egypt played a free-flowing passing game throughout the tournament, beating Cameroon 4-2 in their opening group game before thrashing hot favorites Ivory Coast 4-1 in the semi-finals.

On Sunday, they dominated most of the game but were kept out by Cameroon's impressive keeper Carlos Kameni until Mohamed Aboutrika pounced after Song's error.

It's obvious Egypt wanted to prove their 2006 victory on home soil was no fluke.

"We always respect our opponents but we are not afraid to play our game," striker Mohamed Fadl told reporters.

"The fact that everybody was only speaking about Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Ghana (as tournament favorites) was a huge motivation for us. After all, we were still the defending champions and we eventually proved our point. We beat Cameroon twice and we knocked out Ivory Coast."

So what was the scene like in Egypt after the win?

Pure bedlam as hundreds of thousands of fans celebrated on the streets late into the evening.


According to the BBC, within seconds of the final whistle being blown, the Egyptian capital Cairo erupted into a cacophony of noise and a blur of light.

Tour boats on the Nile sounded their horns in time to the chants of crowds pouring across bridges spanning Africa's longest river.

Fireworks lit up Cairo's night sky as jubilant fans climbed atop buses and cars, dancing and beating drums.

"I feel very happy and I'm going to party all night to celebrate," 19-year-old Cairo resident Mohammed Saeed told the AP news agency, his face painted in the national colors of red, white and black.

In the football-loving nation of 80 million people, the celebrations are likely to continue for days to come.

Sounds like a great time!

Congratulations to Egypt, 2008 African Cup of Nations champions!!!

Bios of Egypt/Cameroon Players Ahead of Final

Here, what the press call 'penpix' or bios of the players participating in tomorrow's Egypt-Cameroon African Cup of Nations final. These are provided by Reuters, the wonderful news service.

Should be a very good one!!

First off, Cameroon.

Penpix of Cameroon's squad ahead of Sunday's African Nations Cup final against Egypt:

Goalkeepers:

1-Idriss Carlos Kameni (Espanyol, Spain). Born Feb. 18, 1984. Caps: 35 Goals: 0. Capped first as a teenager, he spent early part of career languishing in the reserves at Le Havre in France before achieving breakthrough in Spain. Hero of the penalty shootout win for Cameroon at the 2000 Olympic Games gold medal match against Spain.

16-Hamidou Souleymanou (Denzilispor, Turkey). Born Nov. 22, 1973. Caps: 15 Goals: 0. First choice at the 2006 Nations Cup finals in Egypt but after Kameni ended a self-imposed exile from the team, Souleymanou lost his place. Made his debut in 2000 in World Cup qualifier against Somalia.

22-Janvier Mbarga (Canon Yaounde). Born Jan. 17, 1985. Caps: 0 Goals: 0. The only home-based player in the squad, called up for the Nations Cup as cover for the first two goalkeepers. Previously played at under-23 level.

Defenders:

2-Augustin Binya (Benfica, Portugal). Born Aug. 29, 1984. Caps: 4 Goals: 0. Only came to the attention of Cameroon officials after Benfica signed him at the start of the season. Handed a six-match ban by UEFA for a vicious tackle in the Champions League against Celtic.

3-Bill Tchato (Qatar SC). Born May. 14, 1975. Caps: 44 Goals: 2. A Nations Cup winner in 2002 who was surprisingly recalled for this tournament three years after his last appearance for Cameroon. His club career includes stops at Nice and Montpellier in France and Germany's Kaiserslautern.


4-Rigobert Song (Galatasaray, Turkey. Pictured above). Born July 1, 1976. Caps: 117. Goals: 4. Cameroon's influential captain was the first player from sub-Saharan Africa to reach the milestone of 100 caps. Made his debut in 1993 and competes in a record-equalling third Nations Cup final on Sunday.

5-Timothee Atouba (Hamburg SV, Germany). Born Feb. 17, 1982. Caps: 38. Goals: 0. Fullback playing in his third successive Nations Cup. Moved from Cameroon to Switzerland, then England's Tottenham Hotspur before going on to play in the Bundesliga.

6-Benoit Angbwa (Saturn Rameskoye, Russia). Born Jan. 1, 1982. Caps: 10 Goals: 0. The only outfield player yet to get a game for Cameroon at these finals. He was also backup at the 2006 edition where he made a single appearance.

8-Geremi (Newcastle United, England). Born Dec. 20, 1978. Caps: 93. Goals: 9. Free-kick specialist who was a winner in 2000 and 2002 finals. This tournament is his sixth Nations Cup.

23-Andre Bikey (Reading, England). Born Jan. 8, 1985. Caps: 14 Goals: 0. Suspended for Sunday's final after receiving red card in the dying minutes of Thursday's semi-final. Played in the 2006 finals while still on the books of Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow.

Midfielders:

7-Modeste Mbami (Olympique Marseille, France). Born Oct. 9, 1982. Caps: 26. Goals: 3. Played at the 2004 finals but a rift with officials cost him a place in Egypt in 2006.

10-Achille Emana (Toulouse, France). Born June 5, 1982. Caps: 15. Goals: 1. A regular for the first time after serving as a reserve at the 2006 finals. Has been on the books of Ligue 1 club Toulouse for eight years.

11-Jean Makoun (Lille, France). Born May. 29, 1983. Caps: 27. Goals: 0. Expected to become the next leader of the new Cameroon generation but has been in disappointing form in Ghana and lost his place in the team. This is his third Nations Cup tournament.

13-Landry Nguemo (Nancy, France). Born Nov. 28, 1985. Caps: 9. Goals: 1. Scored goal on his debut at the start of the qualifying campaign in late 2006 but has played only 45 minutes in Ghana. Came through the junior ranks at Nancy.

14-Joel Epalle (VfL Bochum, Germany). Born Feb. 20, 1978. Caps: 32. Goals: 2. Speedy winger who has spent most of career in Greece. Member of under-23 side that won gold medal at 2000 Sydney Olympics.


15-Alexandre Song (Arsenal, England. Pictured above). Born: Sept. 9, 1987. Caps: 6. Goals: 0. Nephew of captain Rigobert Song, he won one cap in late 2005 but did not play again until new Cameroon coach Otto Pfister watched him in Arsenal's reserves.

19-Stephane Mbia (Stade Rennes, France). Born May. 20, 1986. Caps: 11. Goals: 3. Began his international career at the start of the qualifiers for this Nations Cup. Scored twice in quarter-final win over Tunisia in Tamale last Monday.

20-Paul Essola (Arsenal Kiev, Ukraine). Born Dec. 13, 1981. Caps: 1. Goals: 0. One of four uncapped players in squad. Has had only 13 minutes of action in the group match against Sudan on Jan. 30.

Forwards:

9-Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona, Spain). Born March 10, 1981. Caps: 72. Goals: 29. Three-times African Footballer of the Year and the Nations Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer with 16 in five tournaments since 2000. Eto'o joins Rigobert Song and Geremi in a record-equalling third final.

12-Alain Nkong (Atlante, Mexico). Born April 6, 1979. Caps: 2. Goals: 1. Journeyman plucked from obscurity for this tournament. He scored winner in semi-final victory over hosts Ghana on Thursday. Has played for clubs in Spain, Portugal, Uruguay and the U.S.

17-Mohamadou Idrissou (SC Freiburg, Germany). Born March 8, 1980. Caps: 18. Goals: 1. Tall striker who made debut at the 2003 Confederations Cup in France and played at the Nations Cup finals in Tunisia the following year. Will move from MSV Duisburg to German rivals SC Freiburg next week.

18-Bertin Tomou (Excelsior Mouscron, Belgium). Born August 8, 1978. Caps: 2. Goals: 0. Made debut against Sudan in a World Cup qualifier in 2004 but not called up again until this tournament. Spent eight years playing in South Korea and China before moving to Brest in France and now Belgium.

21-Joseph-Desire Job (Nice, France). Born Dec. 1, 1977. Caps: 50. Goals: 9. French-born striker who chose to play for Cameroon in 1997 and made his debut against England at Wembley. Won a Nations Cup winners' medal in 2000 but has rarely featured for Cameroon in last five years.

And now, Egypt ...

Penpix of Egypt's squad ahead of Sunday's African Nations Cup final against Cameroon:

Goalkeepers:

1-Essam Al Hadari (Al Ahli). Born Jan. 15, 1973. Caps: 82 Goals: 0. Al Hadari has fought a niggling injury but produced several vital saves, notably in Thursday's semi-final against Ivory Coast. Has won all of Africa's top honours at club and national level.

16-Mohamed Abou Moncef (Zamalek). Born Feb. 6, 1977. Caps: 9 Goals: 0. A squad member in the 2006 winning team, he has only played intermittently. His Cairo club have been struggling in domestic competition this season.

23-Mohamed Sobhi (Ismaili). Born Aug. 30, 1981. Caps: 0 Goals: 0. Recently drafted into squad as third choice but yet to win a cap. Has been an Egyptian Premier League regular for the last five seasons.

Defenders:

2-Mahmoud Fathallah (Zamalek). Born Feb. 13, 1982. Caps: 11 Goals: 0. Flying fullback who made his debut in a friendly against Saudi Arabia in 2005. Played in first two matches of this tournament before losing his place after a one-match suspension.

3-Ahmed Al Muhammadi (ENPPI). Born Sept. 9, 1987. Caps: 11 Goals: 0. One of the few additions since Egypt's triumph in 2006. Made debut last year although most of his caps have come as a substitute.

4-Ibrahim Said (Ankaragucu, Turkey). Born Oct. 16, 1979. Caps: 47 Goals: 2. Popular with fans because of his playboy image, he has not played club football this season. A regular in the 2006 team.

5-Shady Mohamed (Al Ahli). Born Nov. 29, 1977. Caps: 21 Goals: 0. Captain of the all-conquering Al Ahli team which reached three successive African Champions League finals from 2005-2007. Made debut for Egypt in 2000 but has played sparingly since, missing out on most of the major tournaments.

6-Hani Said (Ismaili). Born April 22, 1980. Caps: 30. Goals: 0. Played in the 2000 Nations Cup and earned a move to Italy's Serie A before losing his place in the national team. Brought back last year by coach Hassan Shehata and now a regular again.

13-Tarek El Sayed (Zamalek). Born Oct. 9, 1978. Caps: 44 Goals: 5. Playing in his fourth successive Nations Cup but has made only one start. A flying left back surprisingly recalled for these finals after two years out of the team.

14-Sayed Moawad (Ismaili). Born May 25, 1979. Caps: 25 Goals: 0. Started all five matches for Egypt here. Versatile player who can play at left back or in midfield. He made his debut in 2001 but only worked his way back into the squad over the last 12 months.

20-Wael Gomaa (Al Saylia, Qatar). Born Aug. 3, 1975. Caps: 56. Goals: 0. Uncompromising central defender who was an integral part of the 2006 team. He has played in four Nations Cup finals and has two African Champions League winners medals.

Midfielders:

7-Ahmed Fathi (Al Ahli). Born Nov. 10, 1984. Caps: 54. Goals: 2. Made debut a month after his 18th birthday and played in the 2006 Nations Cup final in Cairo. Originally a right back, he is now used as an attacking midfielder.

8-Hosni Abd Rabou (Ismaili). Born Nov. 1, 1984. Caps: 39. Goals: 6. Scorer of four goals here and winner of several man of the match awards. Previously played in France with Racing Strasbourg and now involved in a tug of war between Egypt champions Al Ahli and Ismaili over who owns his contract.


11-Mohamed Shawky (Middlesbrough, England. Pictured above). Born Oct. 5, 1981. Caps: 50. Goals: 3. Key defensive midfielder who missed Thursday's semi-final win over Ivory Coast because of injury. Scored against Cameroon home and away in 2006 World Cup qualifiers.

15-Ahmed Shaaban (Petrojet). Born Oct. 10, 1978. Caps: 2. Goals: 0. Late bloomer on international scene, making his debut last month in a warmup against Namibia. Has not played here.

17-Ahmed Hassan (Besiktas, Turkey). Born May 2, 1975. Caps: 135. Goals: 18. Scored second goal in 1998 Nations Cup final victory over South Africa and named best player of 2006 tournament. Playing in record-equalling seventh Nations Cup.

21-Hassan Mostafa (Al Wehda, Saudi Arabia). Born Nov. 20, 1979. Caps: 25. Goals: 0. Hard-working midfielder who was substitute in 2006 final and played a similar backup role in Ghana. Made debut in 2003 but was not picked again until a year later when Shehata took over as coach.


22-Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahli. Pictured above). Born Nov. 7, 1978. Caps: 45. Goals: 12. One of the key men in the march to the final, overcoming a bout of flu at the start. Hit five goals in first six internationals although did not score again for 11 games.

Forwards:

9-Mohamed Zidan (Hamburg SV, Germany). Born Dec. 11, 1981. Caps: 14. Goals: 4. Moved to Denmark as a teenager and then on to the Bundesliga. Scored two goals in opening match of tournament against Cameroon.

10-Emad Moteab (Al Ahli). Born Feb. 20, 1983. Caps: 39. Goals: 15. Made excellent start to international career, scoring seven goals in eight games. Has failed to score here although a consistent goal-getter in Al Ahli's African Champions League successes of 2005 and 2006.

12-Omar Gamal (Ismaili). Born Sept. 16, 1982. Caps: 12. Goals: 0. Backup striker who has not featured at this tournament. All but one of 12 caps have come as substitute.

18-Mohamed Fadl (Ismaili). Born Aug. 12, 1980. Caps: 4. Goals: 2. Scored debut goal that ensured Egypt's qualification for these finals. Yet to appear in tournament.

19-Amr Zaki (Zamalek). Born April 1, 1983. Caps: 39. Goals: 21. Scorer of four goals at these finals including two in the semi-final win over Ivory Coast. Returned to club football in Egypt last year after a brief spell at Lokomotiv Moscow.