World Cup chaos fears as Egypt, Algeria clash

November 14, 2009

Threats of violence in Cairo have overshadowed the final round of 2010 World Cup qualifiers in Africa this weekend with three places in South Africa up for grabs.

Egypt host bitter rivals Algeria Saturday in the potentially explosive highlight of a nine-match schedule and already-qualified Ghana meet Mali in the sole Sunday fixture.

Cameroon or Gabon will go through from Group A, Tunisia or Nigeria from Group B and Algeria or Egypt from Group C while Group D table-toppers Ivory Coast, Group E winners Ghana and hosts South Africa are already through.

Wins for Cameroon away to Morocco and Tunisia away to Mozambique will seal places at the first World Cup to be staged in Africa while a win, draw or one-goal loss for Algeria returns them the finals after a 23-year absence.

A two-goal victory for Egypt would mean a play-off in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on November 18 and the ‘Pharaohs’ would qualify directly for South Africa if they triumph by a wider margin at home.

Tension ahead of the Saturday evening clash at the 73,000-seat Cairo Stadium has led world governing football body FIFA and officials from both countries to call for fair play on the field and calm off it.

Those pleas fell on deaf ears when Algeria arrived in Cairo late Thursday with police officials confirming stones were thrown at the visitors’ bus as it sped from the airport to a hotel.

While Egypt insisted no one was injured, Algeria claimed several players were hurt ahead ahead of the return match in a mini-league that has not gone according to form.

Internet and media ‘wars’ have been raging for weeks between the rivals and Algeria want extra security for the ‘Desert Foxes’ players and officials after the bus incident.

The ‘Pharaohs’ were firm favourites to finish first and compete at the World Cup for the first time since 1990, but a home draw with Zambia followed by a loss in Algeria placed them under pressure.

A recovery brought home and away wins over Rwanda and a fortunate victory in Zambia, but Algeria won four consecutive games following a Kigali draw to take a three-point advantage.

“Algeria have the advantage. The team has been strong throughout the qualifiers and need to prove ourselves one more time. It is up to Egypt to make the running,” said captain and midfielder Yazid Mansouri.

“We can leave a mark on the history of our country and playing in Cairo is going to be the match of our lives. I will tell my team-mates how proud I am to lead them and then we must get a result that takes us to South Africa.”

Egypt skipper and midfielder Ahmed Hassan countered: “I know Algeria are in a better position but I also feel our team are superior. It is a unique moment – without doubt the most important of our careers.

“Our generation has dominated African football for the last few years, but only qualifying for the World Cup would put a proper seal on that. We believe in our ability and deserve to qualify.”

Cameroon have a one-point lead in their group and can reach the World Cup a record sixth time for an African country either by winning in Morocco or matching the result of second-placed surprise packets Gabon in Togo.

Failure to convert a stoppage-time penalty cost Cameroon a place at the 2006 finals in Germany and star striker and captain Samuel Eto’o is wary of bottom team Morocco, who have failed to win in five outings but drew in Yaounde.

“Morocco deserve respect despite their position and we have to use maximum concentration. Our ‘Indomitable Lions’ nickname is significant. A lion commands territory, earns respect and is feared,” he boasted.

Seeking a fourth consecutive trip to the World Cup, Tunisia hold a two-point advantage over Nigeria, who are facing the grim prospect of missing the tournament again after Angola pipped them four years ago.

Both teams finish with away assignments and while Mozambique promise stiff opposition to Tunisia, Kenya have been hit by coaching chaos and injuries as they prepare to tackle Nigeria.

German Antoine Hey walked out when two players he did not select turned up for training in Nairobi and injury forced midfielders MacDonald Mariga and Robert Mambo to withdraw.

Rwanda tackle Zambia, Sudan meet Benin, Didier Drogba-less Ivory Coast face Guinea and Burkina Faso confront Malawi in the other Saturday fixtures.

JOHANNESBURG (AFP)

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Captain Hassan insists Egypt can qualify for World Cup

July 4, 2009

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Captain Ahmed Hassan insists struggling Egypt can reach the 2010 World Cup in South Africa ahead of a crucial qualifier against Rwanda in Cairo Sunday.

Winners of the last two African Nations Cup tournaments, the North Africans lie bottom of Group C with just one point after a home draw against Zambia and away loss to Algeria.

Arch-rivals Algeria top the final qualifying round table with seven points followed by Zambia with four and while Rwanda have only one, they boast a superior goal difference to the Egyptians.

Only victory at Cairo Stadium will keep the ‘Pharaohs’ in contention for first place and a World Cup ticket and midfielder Hassan from Cairo club Al-Ahly believes a weary, unpredictable national team can secure three points.

“Even if we have 50 percent hope we must hold on to it. We still have four games left and if we win them all we will be at the World Cup,” Hassan told local reporters.

“We suffered a heavy defeat in Algeria last month and the players know they did not play well. No individual is to blame for that loss. We were all responsible.”

After a 3-1 reverse in Algeria, Egypt showed what they are capable of at the Confederations Cup in South Africa last month by losing to eventual winners Brazil in stoppage time and defeating world champions Italy.

But with a semi-finals place at the 2010 World Cup dress rehearsal beckoning, the ‘Pharaohs’ imploded in a 3-0 loss to the United States, who went on to finish runners-up behind the Brazilians.

Officials played the humiliating Rustenburg defeat on tiredness, injuries and false South African media reports that some players had been robbed by prostitutes at a Johannesburg hotel after stunning Italy.

After being held goalless at home by Algeria and suffering a solitary-goal loss in Zambia, a Rwandan team coached by Croat Branko Tucak has also arrived at the last chance saloon.

Tucak boasted before the qualifiers began last March that the tiny central African nation could top the table and reach the World Cup finals for the first time.

Those expectations have been downgraded to a top-three finish and a place at the African Nations Cup in Angola six months before the first World Cup to be staged in Africa kicks off.

The winners of the five qualifying groups advance to the World Cup where they will be joined by hosts South Africa while the top three in each pool compete for the Nations Cup beside Angola.

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Sad exit for Jose as Ahly stunned in Angola

June 1, 2009

JOHANNESBURG (AFP) – Manuel Jose ended his title-strewn career as Al-Ahly coach disastrously when the Egyptian giants were dumped out of the African Confederation Cup by Santos in Angola on Sunday.

Ahly, winners of the African Champions League a record six times, took a 3-0 lead into the return match and even the absence of star midfielder Mohamed Aboutraika was not expected to prevent them reaching the group phase.

But a Santos team competing in Africa for the first time this year had other ideas and triumphed 3-0 in Luanda to level the aggregate score before winning the fourth-round tie 6-5 on penalties.

Among those who failed from the spot for Ahly was Angola-born striker Flavio Amado, whose agent claims he is quitting the Cairo ‘Red Devils’ for a three-year contract with Saudi Arabian outfit Shabab.

Bebucho put the Angolans ahead mid-way through the first half, Milex set up a thrilling finish with a second goal as the game entered the closing stages and Saul struck the crucial third two minutes from full-time.

All the goals were brilliantly executed by a team who scored four goals each in previous home encounters against USM of Gabon and Union Douala of Cameroon having received a first round bye.

Bebucho strode forward before unleashing an unstoppable 30-metre shot past goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh, Milex volleyed a loose ball into the net from close range and Saul clinically sidefooted home a cross.

Success for Santos completed a wonderful weekend for the oil-rich southern Africa nation in the second-tier African club competition, as Primeiro Agosto eliminated holders CS Sfaxien in Tunisia on Saturday, also after a shootout.

Ahly have campaigned in Africa regularly since 1975 and this was only the fourth time they had suffered a three-goal loss, with Mouloudia Alger of Algeria, Hearts of Oak of Ghana and Al-Hilal of Sudan inflicting the other defeats.

The heavy reverses against Mouloudia and Hearts came three decades ago while Hilal triumphed two years ago in Omdurman against a club that claims 40 million supporters in Egypt and the Middle East.

It was a sad exit for Jose, who stays in Luanda to take over a struggling Angolan national team from June 1 with the task of building a team capable of using home advantage to win the 2010 African Nations Cup.

The 63-year-old Portuguese led Ahly to four of their six African Champions League titles and many African media observers consider him the greatest foreign coach to have worked at club level on the continent.

Primeiro lost 2-0 to Sfaxien only to convert all their post-match penalties and win the shootout 5-4, while Stade Malien of Mali outplayed Al-Ittihad Khemisset of Morocco 3-1 in Bamako to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

Another five ties in the final qualifying round will be decided later on Sunday before the mini-league phase kicks off in mid-July.