It’s a shame Egypt won’t be in South Africa

I know it’s been said over and again but I find it such a shame that Africa’s best team won’t be playing in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Four years ago, at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Senegal striker El-Hadji Diouf proclaimed that the “wrong teams” were going to the World Cup as the likes of Angola, Togo and Ghana failed to make it through the group phase. Fast forward and 2010, it was a different story as all five World Cup bound teams minus hosts South Africa survived the group stage yet none, apart from say Ghana have been exciting to watch to say the least. Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria and Ghana struggled in Angola and have been overshadowed by Egypt, a team that, despite all their success on the continent have not qualified for the World Cup since 1990. Algeria suffered the most spectacular setback in their opening group game, being hammered 3-0 by the lowest ranked team in the tournament Malawi, (it was the Flames’ first ever victory in the Nations Cup), before recovering to beat Mali 1-0 in what was probably the poorest game of the tournament. It may be that the teams going to the World Cup have generally underperformed not because their minds are already in South Africa, which would be the obvious inference, but because they have the most European-based players. Ghana, Egypt’s opponent in Sunday’s (today) game were out of sorts in their first group game against most people’s pre-tournament favourites Ivory Coast but bounced back with three consecutive wins, including the semi-final against Nigeria. The performances of Cameroon, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Algeria will not do much in sending out what would have been a warning to their opponents in South Africa. All four came into the tournament with high expectations but somehow have left with tails between the legs. At least Nigeria has the consolation of taking home a third place medal. Ghana, with all the big name absentees including Stephen Appiah, John Mensah, John Paintsil, Laryea Kingston, Anthony Annan and Michael Essien, have done a fantastic job, and credit to the youngsters from the Fifa U-20 World Cup winning team, for a job well done. Even if they don’t win the tournament, this team has passed the test with flying colours, and actually if anything, the missing big boys should be afraid of missing out on the journey to South Africa as the young boys have not put a foot wrong to convince even the hardest critic that they’re good enough to do the job. Yet, that said and done, Egypt have looked the only truly coherent side so far, motivated by the twin aims of becoming the first team to win a third straight Cup of Nations, and by anger at their failure to qualify for the World Cup. They have won the last two editions and had good results in the Confederations Cup, and to say they deserved to go to the World Cup, the first time it’s being played on the African continent wouldn’t be an exaggeration after all. Like it or not, the Pharaohs are the best team on the continent and that is demonstrated with their record of six African titles, two more than both Ghana and Cameroon. The fact that they have won the last two and will be favourites to win on Sunday for a third consecutive (title), speaks volumes of their status. No team has won the competition three times in a row but you can’t stake your house on Egypt not doing that. Winning the tournament in Angola will be the best answer for their fans, for the people outside of Egypt and for the players themselves. They have a point to prove. However, failure to qualify for the World Cup since 1990 will still, in one or another impact on the way people rate the North African giants as whether indeed they are the greatest team ever on the continent. Egypt’s victory in Ghana in the win against Cameroon two years ago was pleasing to watch (I’m lucky to have been there) because I think that they played attractive football, probably the most attractive football of any team on the continent during the competition. In Angola, Hassan Shehata’s team has again been a cut above the rest as, going into Sunday’s final, have won all their five matches, scoring 14 goals in the process. Ghana have not been impressive but despite their young age, they’re playing with a high degree of maturity, that has probably come with most of the players having played together through the junior levels including the Fifa U-17 and U-20 World Cups, but that said, I think Egypt will be just too much for them. And when and not if the Pharaohs conquer African football for a record seventh time, it will go a long way to further confirm them as the greatest African team that’s why it is such a big shame that such a team won’t be part of a history making 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa. nku78@yahoo.com