By Gilbert Wandera and Agencies
Egypt will be attempting to write history as they take part in this year’s Confederations Cup in South Africa.
No African side has ever won the competition and the Pharaos will be out to change that.
Despite having won a record six African Cup of Nations titles, including back-to-back wins in 2006 and 2008, Egypt will be one of the tournament’s underdogs.
Their recent form in the 2010 World Cup/Africa of Nations qualifiers does not augur well for them considering that they are yet to stamp their authority in group ‘C’.
Egypt are lying at the bottom of their group with just a single point from two matches. They were humiliated 3-1 at the weekend by Algeria.
Over the last four years, the Egyptians have been Africa’s most consistent team and underlined their dominance in the continent with a flawless Ghana 2008 campaign.
North Africans
For many observers, this can be attributed to the nation’s successful grassroots system and their continued investment in youth football.
The North Africans do have players with experience of claiming a Fifa medal, with a second-placed finish to show from their 2001 Fifa Under 20 World Cup campaign in Argentina under Shawky Gharieb. Two years later, the Pharaohs also won the CAF African Youth Championship in Burkina Faso, this time under the stewardship of Hassan Shehata.
Today, Shehata is the much-revered coach of the senior side, and Gharieb his assistant, while players from their respective youth team form the backbone of the Egypt we will see in South Africa.
The result is a dressing room in which the harmony between coaches and players has forged a terrific team spirit.
Nevertheless, Egypt’s failure to qualify for Germany 2006 should act as a reminder that they have a nasty habit of failing to replicate their continental form when it comes to global competitions.
Shehata, however, is determined to consign such problems to the past, and the prospect of rubbing shoulders with the world’s elite is sure to have his players buzzing with excitement.
The coach has also succeeded in assembling a balanced squad with an effective blend of youth and experience.
Egypt are ranked second on the continent, behind Cameroon. Victory over the Indomitable Lions in last year’s Nations Cup final immediately qualified 2008 as a successful year for the Pharaohs.
Their 2008 record of 12 wins, three losses and two draws is a good record, but two of those losses — 4-0 to Sudan and a shock 1-0 defeat to Malawi - indicate that the Egyptians are not always consistent.
Egypt were the first African country to participate in the World Cup when they played in Italy in 1934, losing to Hungary 4-2. Egypt has qualified for one World Cup since then, going out in the first round in Italy 1990.
Egypt bowed out in the first round when they took part in the Confederations Cup for the first time in 1997 in Mexico.
They drew 2-2 with Bolivia in their opening match and were also held to a similar score by hosts Mexico. They went down 5-1 in their final match against Saudi Arabia.
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