19 - 25 July 2001
Issue No.543
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 19 - 25 July 2001 Issue No.543 |
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The blond bomber
Despite being injured in a recent car crash, Mohamed El-Yamani could soon be wearing a famed black and white soccer jersey, writes Alaa Shahine
Fate has not been all that kind to Mohamed El-Yamani, the Egyptian striker with the short, strikingly blond hair whose devastating finish helped propel his counry to a third place finish in the recent under-20 World Cup. The player, who had been linked to a move to Italian giants Juventus, could have his soccer hopes temporarily derailed after being injured in a car crash in Cairo on Monday. El-Yamani was on his way to the airport when he lost control of his car after bursting a tyre. The car overturned and the player, who fell into a coma, was rushed to Nasser's Medical Institution. An initial examination revealed internal bleeding in the brain. However, the bleeding stopped amidst reports that his health is improving. He was visited by Minister of Health Ismail Sallam and the president of the Egyptian Football Association Youssef El-Dahshoury.
El-Yamani was on his way to Belgium to join his team, Standard Liege, after a short vaction in his hometown Ismailia. Speaking to Al- AhramWeekly one day before the accident, he said negotiations were under way between Liege and Juventus for a possible move to the Italians next season.
Should El-Yamani eventually make his southern Europe move, he would surely have the recent under-20 World Cup to thank. He scored four goals for his team, helping it clinch third place, the highest position Egyptian footballers of any age had reached in a world football tournament.
His brilliant effort against Holland in the quarter-finals is certainly the most memorable of his four tallies in Argentina. The score was 1-1 midway through the second half when the Egyptian received a pass in the penalty area, danced past two Dutch defenders and slotted the ball home, paving the way for the little Pharaohs to reach the semi-finals. "I won't forget that goal," he said. "It might contribute to yet another big move for me in football," he added, referring to the interest Juventus has shown in him.
Negotiations between El-Yamani's current club, Belgium's Standard Liege, and Juventus started soon after Egypt blanked the United States 2- 0 in the second round. In the beginning, the player thought that the whole thing was too good to be true. "I did not believe that Juventus, one of the world's most famous football clubs, was interested in me, but after three meetings, I knew they were serious," El-Yamani told Al-Ahram Weekly. The negotiations were then moved to a higher level between the two clubs and should they reach a deal, Egypt's new marvel will be playing next season along with big names like Italy's wonder boy Alessandro del Pierro and Czech star Pavel Nedved.
El-Yamani's career started early enough when in 1987, at the tender age of six, he walked into Qanah's training ground in Ismailia to watch his elder cousin play in a club tryout. Out of boredom, the boy started to dribble a ball on the sidelines when he was spotted by a club scout who immediately asked him to join the junior team. Ten years later, El-Yamani, by then an Ismaili player, moved to Standard upon the urging of Belgian player agent Roger Henrotay.
But El-Yamani found difficulties adapting to the European lifestyle. "I'm very attached to my family and this made my life in Belgium hard at the beginning," he said. The situation, however, changed in no time, thanks to his outstanding performance with the team in both the league and European Inter Toto competitions. In the latter, which qualifies mid- table European clubs for the UEFA Cup, El-Yamani stole the limelight and became an instant celebrity. "I began to be very well known in Liege and I felt this every time I walked on the streets."
Throughout Egypt's run in both the World Cup and African Cup qualifiers, El-Yamani was given just one chance to play, in a tough away match against Namibia, when he replaced veteran Hossam Hassan in the second half. El-Yamani says the main reason behind his limited playing time for his country was due to constraints imposed by his club which insisted he play with either the senior or youth side, not both. "I chose the latter," he said, insisting that he does not regret the decision. "I will always remember the times I spent with the youth team because it is one of the best teams I ever played with. The players' ambitions had no limits and we were not afraid of any side except Argentina."
Against the South Americans in the first round, Egypt suffered a humiliating 7-1 defeat despite taking an early lead through El-Yamani. "I don't know what happened in that match but we were all confused," he said.
Calls have been made to give El-Yamani a second chance with the national team after the player's dazzling performance with the youth squad. But with one match remaining for Egypt in the World Cup qualifiers, against Algeria next Saturday, his hopes of another national team appearance in the immediate future are dim.
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