30 August - 5 September 2001
Issue No.549
|
Al-Ahram Weekly Online 30 August - 5 September 2001 Issue No.549 |
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 | Current issue | Previous issue | Site map | ||
Don't hold your breath
Will FIFA allow Egypt another shot at an appearance in next year's World Cup or will we be forced to wait another four long years before trying again to qualify for the world's most prestigious football event?
The answer comes tomorrow in the form of a ruling to be handed down by the world's governing body of the sport. Egypt is banking on the premise that since crowd trouble in Annaba stopped play for a good 15 minutes during a vital World Cup qualifier against Algeria, and at least one Egyptian official was injured by a sharp object thrown from the stands, FIFA will have no choice but to stage a second encounter, this time on neutral territory.
But there are others not holding their breath, believing just as strongly that FIFA will refuse to vote in Egypt's favour. They point to the fact that it has taken FIFA 41 days to decide on what is to be done, a delay which was meant to demean Egyptian football. By shelving the issue for so long, all the while keeping soccer-mad Egyptians in the dark as to the immediate future of their team, many observers here feel it was an intentional slap in Egypt's face by FIFA.
There are also a good number of Egyptians who firmly believe FIFA has a moral duty to have the match replayed. They claim that now is the time for FIFA to atone for allowing a qualifier against Zimbabwe for the 1994 World Cup to be replayed, a decision which denied Egypt a World Cup ticket.
And, of course, what would Egypt be like without at least some conspiracy theorists who are certain that mysterious devious forces are at work at FIFA's headquarters in Zurich forever plotting ways to prevent Egypt from ever playing in a World Cup.
Doubtful if FIFA's decision one way or the other will be based on personal bias. We don't think FIFA officials have any particular preference over Egypt making it to Japan and South Korea or not.
As for the Zimbabwe encore, it was a correct and fair decision after the Zimbabwe goalkeeper and coach were floored by stones thrown by rowdy fans at Cairo Stadium.
And about the delay in reaching a decision, FIFA is not about to drop everything in mid-summer vacation months just to hear Egypt's case. Specific dates are set especially for examining such incidents.
Whatever decision is reached tomorrow, it should not hide the fact that the Egyptian national team is first and foremost responsible for the predicament it finds itself in. Had the squad played effectively from the outset of the qualifying campaign it would not be involved in this guessing game. But Egypt's Old World style of play -- throw the ball downfield and hope for the best -- gave the team little chance in what was considered the strongest of the five African qualifying groups. So inept was the team in many of the eight qualifying matches that several pundits wondered out loud what accomplishments could possibly be realised by such players, and what an embarrassment they could turn out to be in terms of the country's reputation, should they go to the World Cup. In their assessment it would be best, for Egypt's sake, that a rematch not be held.
© Copyright Al-Ahram Weekly. All rights reserved
 |
|
|||||||||||||||||
| ARCHIVES Letter from the Editor Editorial Board Subscription Advertise! |
WEEKLY ONLINE: www.ahram.org.eg/weekly Updated every Saturday at 11.00 GMT, 2pm local time weeklyweb@ahram.org.eg |
 Al-Ahram Organisation |
Recommend this page 