It doesn't get easier
Awaiting Egypt's national football team is the African Nations Cup. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab sees what coach Saleh is expecting
Fifteen months after Mohsen Saleh took over as coach of Egypt's national football team, the squad has registered a decent record of 11 victories, four draws and four losses, two of the defeats coming against powerhouses France and Denmark. A hefty 38 goals have been scored in the process.
But Saleh's tenure began shakily enough after Egypt lost surprisingly to lowly Madagascar 1-0, leaving the country in doubt as to whether it would reach the African Nations Cup (ANC) championship.
Then came demolition jobs; Denmark and France blew Egypt away 4-1 and 5-0 respectively in friendlies.
But Egypt, the most successful side in ANC history, soon righted itself, scoring a priceless 1-0 win in Mauritius in March to stay in the ANC race, then scored a combined total of 13 goals against Mauritius and Madagascar to stage an impressive comeback.
Egypt and Saleh continued their roll, winning three consecutive friendlies against tough opponents Senegal, South Africa and Sweden.
In the last two games in particular, the Egyptian side was Zamalek club in disguise. Zamalek currently lead the league table and Saleh was asked if that was why the club was in effect representing Egypt.
"Of course, the national clubs affect the national team," Saleh told Al-Ahram Weekly by phone. "Ismaili have African engagements, Ahli are not in good form. Zamalek are at the top with excellent talent. So I chose nine players from Zamalek and the results have been great.
"I want well-prepared players," Saleh added. "It's my policy as a national coach. There is no time for long training camps."
Saleh's philosophy bore fruit against Sweden which Egypt beat 1- 0 in Cairo. Ahmed Bilal scored the only goal of the match in the 10th minute. Egypt dominated the first half but failed to convert several good goal-scoring opportunities. The Swedes took control in the second half but could not find the equaliser.
The defeat of Sweden was all the more satisfying considering that it topped its 2004 European Championship qualifying group earlier this year and reached the second round of last year's World Cup.
Saleh reflected on the rocky stretch at the beginning of his tenure. "I always say 'to be strong you have to play with the strongest teams.' I learnt from the losses and reshaped the team physically and psychologically with well-formulated plans."
Saleh's contract with the Egyptian Football Association is temporary; it depends on how well he does. The contract comprises three parts. He passed the first test which was to qualify for the ANC. The second deals with how successful the country is in the actual championship, which begins in Tunisia in January. Stage three concerns 2006 World Cup qualifiers beginning in June.
On Egypt's chances in the ANC, Saleh is very much aware of the magnitude of the task before him. "I'm optimistic about this group as I didn't expect it to be any easier," Saleh said. "Considering that Ghana and the Ivory Coast both failed to qualify for the competition, there are thus no good or bad teams in African football anymore."
Cameroon, Algeria and Zimbabwe are grouped with Egypt. The first two are former champions and along with Egypt have between them nine African titles. Egypt alone is seeking to win the Nations Cup for a record fifth time.
Cameroon defeated both Egypt and Algeria in the quarter-finals en route to their last two African titles. "Cameroon is the champion but we'll work very hard," Saleh said. Algeria's intense rivalry with Egypt will be renewed at the tournament for the first time in 14 years.
Newcomers Zimbabwe have regularly played Cameroon and Egypt in World Cup and Nations Cup qualifiers, but the Warriors will have their work cut out at Tunisia 2004. They last met the reigning African champions in 1997, losing 2-1 in Harare in a World Cup qualifier.
With regard to Egypt, few can forget the infamous 1994 World Cup qualifying match between them in Egypt which Egypt won but which was ordered replayed because of stone-throwing crowds. The 0-0 replay in France ousted Egypt from the championship.
The Pharaohs open their Nations Cup campaign against Zimbabwe in Sfax on 25 January.
In preparation, Egypt still have a friendly tournament in December in Bahrain with Iran, Iraq and Bahrain. It then has four other friendlies in January.
This is Saleh's second stint as Egypt's manager. In 1994, he was assistant to Dutch manager Reiner Rauter. When Rauter literally fled the team before they were to fly to Algeria, which Rauter considered too dangerous a trip, Saleh took over and steered the team to the 1996 ANC with a goal scoring record far better than any other country. But perhaps because his technical methods were misunderstood, perhaps because he was asked to assist Kroll, because of a dire need for total authority on the team, he quit. He then coached Misri for two years before going to Ismaili which managed to secure the league title following a 10- season hiatus.
Saleh, 54, started his playing career as a forward, then a midfielder for Ahli in the 1970s, one of the club's best eras.
As a player, he helped guide Ahli to the league and cup double three consecutive years starting in 1975.
As a coach, he trained Ahli's juniors for a year before moving to Port Fouad, then to Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman in various stints from 1980 to 1992. During that time, he led Saudi Arabia's Al-Watani to the league championship in 1987.
Saleh took over the Egypt job in August last year following the end of Mahmoud El-Gohari's tenure which came to a halt after the 2002 ANC in Mali. He has been praised for his attacking-minded mode of play compared to El-Gohari's dour defensive style.
"Coaching the national team is a great honour for anybody," Saleh said, however urging the media to "stop jumping to conclusions before all is said and done".
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 27 November - 3 December 2003 (Issue No. 666)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/666/sp3.htm