Finaly they did something ON THE INTERNATIONAL (Not African) level that made me proud, but I still wonder, how doing well in soccor will fix the masses of problem and low integrity most Egyptians suffer from? _________________ http://free-islam.com
Last edited by AhmedBahgat on Sun 21 Jun, 2009 6:48 am; edited 1 time in total
Posted:
Sun 21 Jun, 2009 6:24 am
AhmedBahgat Site Admin
Status: Age: 59 Faith: Islam Gender:
Zodiac: Joined: Oct 16, 2006
Earning plaudits against fancied Brazil in their opener, Egypt - Africa's champions twice running - added grit and metal to their masterful technique to beat world champions Italy in their last outing. These Pharaohs are a bit special, and they have become one of the darlings of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup with a squad made up primarily of domestic-based players.
FIFA.com caught up with the North Africans for a chat at late-night training on the dusty outskirts of Rustenburg and posed the question: what makes this impressive Egyptian team tick?
"Amr Zaki and Hossam Mido are very important players in Egyptian football, big players," Mohamed Aboutrika, widely regarded as the best playmaker in African football, told FIFA.com about the high-profile, England-based duo. "But they are not here [Zaki is injured and Mido was left out]. The players we do have are the best in Egypt and the sense of unity in this team is something special, something rare in international football.
"We are not just a collection of very good individuals, but we are one... one team," added Al Ahly legend Aboutrika, beloved throughout Africa for his vision and languid creativity, before jogging over to a large crowd of locals in Maruleng to take the lead in an impromptu sing-song session, sign autographs, shake hands and pose, always smiling, for photographs.
The spirit of togetherness in the Egyptian camp is obvious from their understanding on the pitch, almost telepathic with Aboutrika dictating the patterns and pace. With only the USA standing between them and the semi-finals, the Pharaohs, with 19 of their 23 players from the domestic top flight, are banking on this seemingly unbreakable team ethic to see them through.
Off the pitch the spirit of togetherness is just as strong. The entire squad prays together five times a day - the first, a dawn prayer at 5:30am. They play EA Sports FIFA 09 on Sony PlayStation (veteran Ahmed Hassan is rumoured to be the best) and pass time in a regular Backgammon tournament that began last year in Ghana when they beat the continent's best to earn their second consecutive African title.
"The spirit is hard to describe," said rarely used midfielder Mohamed Homos, a surprise inclusion at the start of the competition. "My teammates made me feel comfortable from the start," said the 29-year-old, one of five Ismaily players in the side. "They are the best players and the best people I know. Their support is unbelievable. I never feel out of place in the team because they treat me like I've been around for ages."
Head coach Hassan Shehata, who took over the reins in late 2004, is now the longest-serving coach in Egyptian national team history, and his presence in the technical area has acted to balance a side that, historically, has suffered from instability and inconsistency despite producing consistently talented players. He has had access to nearly his entire squad for over a year, and the resulting cohesiveness is exceptional among the teams here in South Africa.
Shehata, a former international, is not afraid to take chances either. He famously benched Mido in the 2006 African finals, and his replacement - Amr Zaki - proved a revelation in their run to the title. Here in South Africa, he outraged the Egyptian media by replacing captain and all-time caps leader Hassan with the untested Homos against Italy. "When I saw my name in the starting list for the Italy game I was shaking with happiness," the player said. He repaid the manager's faith with an historic goal in the 40th minute. With the help of goalkeeper Essam el Hadary, who plays in Switzerland, the lone strike stood up in a slim 1-0 win. One of the first men up off the bench to embrace Homos after the final whistle was Hassan, visibly moved by his replacement's contributions.
Shehata will likely have to rely on one more domestic-based player in the final Group B match against the US on Sunday. Team doctors have confirmed that Germany-based Mohamed Zidan, scorer of two goals against Brazil, will miss out with a hamstring strain.
A win for the Pharaohs in this, the first-ever meeting between the two nations, would mean a place in the semi-finals for this unified squad. Smiles turn to stern, sober talk when the conversation turns to the upcoming match in Rustenburg. "It is decisive for us," concluded Aboutrika with a serious nod, turning away from his adoring fans for a brief moment. "What we did before won't matter if we don't play well against the US. If we want to be in the semi-finals we must focus." _________________ http://free-islam.com
Posted:
Sun 21 Jun, 2009 6:47 am
BMZ Moderator
Status: Age: 76 Faith: Islam Gender:
Zodiac: Joined: Jun 12, 2007
Posts: 614
Post subject:
watched the video clip, Ahmed. Congratulations to the team.
I will be watching the Cricket final between Sri Lanka and Pakistan late tonight. It would be worth watching.
Salaams
BMZ
Posted:
Sun 21 Jun, 2009 3:42 pm
AhmedBahgat Site Admin
Status: Age: 59 Faith: Islam Gender:
Zodiac: Joined: Oct 16, 2006
Posts: 3236 Location: Australia
Post subject:
Fuk all man, we lost, I waked up at 3 am to watch the Egyptian arseholes who let us so fukin down, here are my comments on facebook during the game:
Ahmed Bahgat at 6:01am June 22
What a shame dear cousin, they never bring it home safely, currently we are 2 goals down to USA, italy is 3 goals down to Brazil, if it ends like that we still can make it by a thread, If Ital or USA scores another goal, we are out, I waked up at 4:00 am for them, the bastards
Ahmed Bahgat at 6:03am June 22
we are fuked as always, USA scored a third goal against us, what a fukin shame, they should execute that fukin Egyptian team, man, I guess they needed one like Uday Saddam
Ahmed Bahgat at 6:05am June 22
How dare such team do that to the whole fukin Arab nations
Ahmed Bahgat at 6:06am June 22
Egypt is going to be the last in the group, how fukin they do us like this
Ahmed Bahgat at 6:10am June 22
Shame on the Egyptian soccer team, I actually expected it, they never bring it home.
It seems their Sijood (prostration) to Allah on playground (the hypocrites) did not help them a thing.
As if, this is what Allah created us for, to play soccer, they forgot that Allah told us: The life of this world is nothing except an amusement and a play.
Keep playing and losing, Egyptian punks
Ahmed Bahgat at 6:13am June 22
Just get 1 fukin goal in the last 5 minutes, please, you punks
Ahmed Bahgat at 6:16am June 22
What can I say man, well done USA, this is what you expect from a young soccer team of a FREE COUNTRY, FUK YOU EGYPTIANS
Ahmed Bahgat at 6:24am June 22
Yawilad Elwiskah, I can't fukin believe it man how they let us so down like this, fuk all _________________ http://free-islam.com
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