 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 May 2000 Issue No. 480 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 4 - 10 May 2000 Issue No. 480
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters On top once more
EGYPT'S handball team regained its African perch, beating three-time champions Tunisia 18-15. The win gave Egypt its second African Nations title and its first since 1992. Following that year, Tunisia won three straight crowns, emerging as the continent's dominating force in the sport even though Egypt's world seeding, at No 6, is higher.But Egypt set things right in Algeria, where the 10-day championship was held. It won the six matches it played, which included victories over the normally tough North Africans: 29-18 against Morocco and a 22-20 nail-biter against Algeria before the cliffhanger with Tunisia.
Against Algeria, the second half was extended to 65 minutes, instead of the normal 30, after skirmishes on and off the court forced stoppage of play several times.
Much less ill-tempered were the Tunisians, but the encounter was tough all the same. Egypt led all the way, but by never more than four goals. On several occasions, Tunisia cut the lead to one goal but could never quite make up the difference when it counted most.
The African triumph means Egypt qualifies for the intercontinental cup in Saudi Arabia in June.
Bad luck draw
THE DRAW for the final phase of African qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup was certainly unkind to Egypt. Pitted with Morocco, Algeria, Senegal and Namibia, Egypt was put in what is arguably the toughest of the five groups, making what were already bleak prospects for reaching the cup now abysmal. Pessimism stems from the two qualifying matches Egypt played against rank-outsiders Mauritius. While Egypt won both for a 6-2 aggregate score, both performances were unconvincing and showed up serious flaws in Egypt's team-work.Worse, the Maghreb nations have a history of violent soccer encounters with Egypt. Algeria and Egypt clashed on the field in 1989 when Egypt narrowly defeated their rivals to qualify for the 1990 World Cup. The violence led to an Egyptian boycott of the African Cup of Nations finals in Algeria the next year. Bad blood also permeated Egypt's meeting with Morocco in Casablanca during qualifiers for the 1996 African Cup of Nations.
"I wanted to see Egypt in a tough group but I never imagined it would be that tough," coach Mahmoud El-Gohari said, perhaps ruing the day he made such a wish. "Now all we can do is our best."
Kicking off on the weekend of 16-18 June, the 25 teams in the five groups will contest a total of eight matches each, on a home-and-away basis, until 27-29 July 2001. Only the group winner will go through to the 2002 finals in Japan and South Korea.
The draw, held in Zurich on 28 April, threw up some other exciting encounters in Group B. Arch-rivals and African Cup of Nations co-hosts Nigeria and Ghana come face to face together with Sierra Leone, Sudan and Liberia.
While similar regional rivalries are absent from the other groups, there will be some eagerly anticipated matches, as Zambia attempts to fulfill the promise of its youth teams against continental champions Cameroon in Group A, together with Angola, Togo and Libya. Traditional African power Côte d'Ivoire takes on the Tunisians in Group D together with Madagascar, Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo. Only South Africa's Bafana Bafana will have an easy cruise to the cup after falling in a decidedly facile group which includes soccer lightweights Guinea, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Burkina Faso.
