 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 12 - 18 August 1999 Issue No. 442 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 12 - 18 August 1999 Issue No. 442
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Books Features Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters A century of glory
The recent games in Mexico reminded me vividly of my passion for football when I was a boy. When I was 20 or so, the national team was very strong. It scored several stunning international victories, which earned it a brilliant reputation. Even when I was still a schoolboy, this was the case. I remember, for example, that our English language teacher was a very pompous man, British in every respect, and the personification of the stiff-upper-lip philosophy; but he was extremely proud of Egypt's performance on the international football scene. After one international tournament -- I can't remember whom we were playing against, but Egypt won -- he brought some British newspapers to school; there were reports praising the Egyptian team, and he read them out loud to us. We were very proud. This must have been sometime in the late '20s.
My love of football stayed with me. My friends and I were as obsessed by the game as any of today's most ardent fans, although there was no television to broadcast matches at the time. Each school had its own team, and we would play matches all year long. These games served as a kitchen of sorts, in which those who would later play for the national team were trained and prepared.
This was about 70 years ago, so the Egyptian team has around a century of training behind it. Should it not be one of the best and most powerful teams in the world?
Based on an interview by Mohamed Salmawy.
