FOOTBALL NOW AND THEN: This vintage photo depicting Egypt's first Olympic football team, which played in the 1924 Games, shows just how deeply ingrained the sport is here.
That is just one of the strengths of Egypt's bid to host the 2010 World Cup that is currently being evaluated by FIFA, world football's governing body. The FIFA delegation, which has been in Egypt since 23 January, will be wrapping up their tour tomorrow.
In this week's issue we provide coverage of FIFA's Egyptian adventure (see p. 23), as well as a 120-page, full colour magazine celebrating Egypt, Egyptian soccer, and the bid to host the World Cup, included free with this issue. The magazine is called Having a Ball -- precisely what the world can expect if it ends up being played here