10 - 16 January 2002
Issue No.568
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 10 - 16 January 2002 Issue No.568 |
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Missing formula
Nine days before the African Nations Football Cup and Egypt has yet to find the right chemistry. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab wonders whether it will before time runs out
Egypt's 2-1 home defeat to Mali on Sunday came close to being the worst performance the former has ever produced on a football field. That it was only a trial game might have soothed bruised egos except that it came slightly over a week before the African Nations Cup kicks off, thus taking on proportions not normally associated with a friendly.
Mali took advantage of Egypt's ineptitude
photo: Abdel-Hamid Eid
Defender Abu Bakr Diara scored Mali's two goals in the 48th and 75th minute. Egypt's consolation came in overtime from an Ahmed Hossam penalty.
The Egyptians failed to build coherent attacks and passes galore went astray. Aside from the penalty and a chip shot the Mali goalkeeper managed to tip over, Egypt failed to deliver a single shot of note on goal in the full 90 minutes. The injection of young players midway in the second half finally brought some movement to the Egyptian lines but the game had been put away long before then. Diara's pile driver from a free kick found nothing but net while his second climaxed an exchange in the midst of a throng of defenders.
Egypt's coach Mahmoud El-Gohari cited exhaustion as the main culprit-- the players had another friendly at the same Ismailia venue, against Ghana, just 48 hours earlier. But he admitted that mistakes were made, and that he was working to rectify the situation before the cup begins on 19 January in Mali.
El-Gohari rejected allegations that his team lacked cohesion, ascribing the hodgepodge Egyptian line-up to "testing all my players to discover who is most compatible with my thoughts and instructions."
"We're trying out new plans, figuring out new places for players, matching players together. Please leave us alone and let us do our job," an exasperated El-Gohari told reporters.
"I'm an Egyptian, a patriot, and the team's coach for 12 years. I know the players well." El-Gohari lashed out at journalists who accused him of failing to create a harmonious team. "Such accusations may be directed towards a new foreign coach who's unfamiliar with the team, but not me. There is something in my head, so let me to work on it."
Leaving El-Gohari to seek out some peace and iron out the bugs, a less agitated Henry Kasperczak, the Mali coach, had just upset Egypt, one of the countries he thinks has a good chance of winning the tournament. Kasperczak, a Pole who was previously at the helm of Morocco and Tunisia, took charge of Mali two months ago, replacing an Italian who held the job for 14 months.
Even though the African Nations Cup will be held in Mali, Kasperczak, who took Tunisia to the 1996 final, said winning the cup would need a miracle because of the players' lack of experience. Indeed, their average age is 20, however, all save one play abroad.
In the last two months, Mali has played five friendlies, losing 3-0 to Côte d'ivoire, drawing 1-1 with both Morocco and Ghana and beating Burkina Faso 2-1 before edging Egypt by the same score in what was undoubtedly their best result yet. They have one more friendly, with Zambia, before the championship begins.
Mali assistant coach Chlick Diallo, who formerly coached Mali's junior team, said he was satisfied with his team's performance against Egypt, adding that reaching the quarter-finals in Mali would be a big achievement. "Hosting the competition was what we wanted. Winning it is not our target but good and acceptable performances are," said Diallo. "We have concentrated on the coming generations. The future is in Mali."
Egypt's immediate future lies in two more friendlies against Nigeria and Burkina Faso. "Wait and see," El-Gohari said. "The best is yet to come. Just give me time." The problem is that there is precious little time left.
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