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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Jan. - 3 Feb. 1999 Issue No. 414 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 28 Jan. - 3 Feb. 1999 Issue No. 414
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Focus Economy Opinion Culture Features Living Travel Sports People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters Cape of hopefuls
By Eman Abdel-MoetiThe Afro-European Football Championship is scheduled to kick off today with hosts South Africa and European champions Spain hot favourites. Eight countries, including Egypt, will vie for the tournament title for only the second time it has been held, with the battle culminating in the 7 February final.
Egypt, Spain, Ireland and South Africa are drawn in one group while Ghana, Nigeria, Italy and Portugal make up the second. The teams will play a round-robin format with the first and second place finishers of each group moving on to the semi-finals and final. The Egyptian delegation, headed by member of the football federation Qadri Abdel-Halim and Coach Shawki Gharib, says it is determined to reach at least the semis, meaning Egypt must beat two of the three other countries in its pool. Most experts agree that Spain, by dint of being European champions, is the team to beat. But Gharib claims South Africa poses the biggest challenge to Egypt's chances in particular. The South Africans hold a grudge against Egyptian teams who have beaten South African clubs three out of four times on various occasions. And, Gharib adds, South African coaches are familiar with the Egyptian style of play, its approach and technique.
Many experts say no one should expect an Egyptian victory even though some hopefuls say the team comprises many talented players who may yet pull off a surprise. Supporting the optimists, Gharib said, "We call our juniors the 'team of hope' because they are our hope for the future. Let's give them the chance and the benefit of the doubt."
Gharib said it was very difficult to keep the team on a regular training schedule since all the stadiums were busy holding premier and second division league and cup matches during the season. "Furthermore, the team did not play all the friendly matches against European sides it was supposed to, as was planned at the beginning of the season."
The team's poor preparation was apparent by the number of coaching changes. Since the start of last year three coaches have taken the helm; no one stayed more than three months. But Gharib, a former international, has been an exception, lending the team a steady hand. His seriousness showed in how he picked the team, traversing the length and breadth of the country looking for talent. He scouted 52 juniors before settling on his present 19-team contingent.
Gharib believes all the sides might have one common advantage. "None of the teams know anything about their counterparts because most of them have been formed only recently," Gharib said. He has a point. Footballers under 17 don't remain in that age group for long. In two years time, they move on to the U19 division and so on.
Some members of the football federation have said comparisons between the team that won the African Nations Cup two years ago and the team currently in South Africa are unfair. Head of the juniors sector in the football federation, Hani Abu Reda, has said the team, unlike its predecessors, has not had the advantage of playing many matches abroad. "So we should not expect them to reach the final of the Afro-European Championship."
But the Egypt side is determined to prove the doubting Thomases wrong. The players would not only like to come away from Cape Town with a crown but are hoping to qualify for the U17 World Cup in 2001 and the Olympics in 2004.
