All or nothing in Abidjan

CAIRO (GoPharoahs.com) - On Sunday, Egyptian fans are set to watch one of the most important games they have seen in years. The Pharaohs will take on the mighty Ivory Coast in Abidjan in a crucial encounter with only one goal in mind; the three points.

Having put themselves in this situation, the Egyptian national team is obligated to win all three remaining games in order to ensure entry into Germany 2006. The Ivory Coast currently tops the standings with 16 points, Cameroon second with 14 points and Egypt third with 13 points in the bag. A win on Sunday will mean equaling points with the Ivory Coast. Egypt could go top of the table with a win and a draw in the Cameroon vs. Libya match that same day.

Mission not impossible

While many Egyptian fans see this as an impossible game to win, reality shows that both teams have equal chances. Egypt’s recent impressive form and great results with Shehata at helm are something to consider. The Ivorians have been following Egypt’s recent results and will surely be very careful on Sunday. The fact that Egypt has beaten both Asian power houses South Korea and Saudi Arabia on their home turf gives Egyptians much confidence, and that winning away from home is not that difficult. However, Ivory Coast has a perfect home record that has seen them defeat Libya, Sudan, and Benin with clean sheets. The fact that the Ivory Coast has not conceded a single goal at home should not frighten our national team since those three games were not against tough opponents with the slight exception of Libya. It should also be noted that Egypt has the best attack in the African World Cup qualifiers in terms of number of goals scored.

Key Players

Looking at the selected squad by Henry Michel, more than one key player will be found. Among these players are Auxerre’s Bonaventure Kalou, Anderlecht’s Aruna Dindane and Dider Drogba of English champions Chelsea. There is also Kolo Toure of London giants Arsenal leading the Ivorian defensive line. Aruna Kona from Roda JC and Emerse Fae from Nantes will also play an important role in midfield as both players are used to build attacks and control the game. Esperance’s Jean-Jacques Tizie will be guarding the net and with his skills and experience, the Pharaohs will have to concentrate on correctly ending the attacks in the back of the net. The biggest threat however for the shaky Egyptian defence will surely be the deadly duo of Drogba and Dindane. Both strikers had a goal each in Alexandria, and such a situation should not occur in Abidjan. Drogba and Dindane have five goals a piece in the qualifiers so far, and are capable of scoring more. The mission for our defence will not be an easy one but must be accomplished.

The quality in Shehata’s team is no less than that of Michel’s. Egypt’s squad has many key players that will make a difference come Sunday. Ahmed Hossam “Mido” of Tottenham and recent Strasbourg signing Hosny Abd Rabu top the list. Mido has recently cured from injury and proved it with a hat-trick against French club Calais, and should be ready to lead the attack for the Pharaohs. Other players that could make a huge impact in Abidjan are Werder Bremen’s Mohamed Zidan and Ahmed Eid from Harras El Hidoud, as both players are not familiar to the opponents. Shehata will surely use these players to surprise the hosts. Goalkeeping is between Abdel Wahed El Sayed and Nader El Sayed, although the latter seems closer to the starting line-up given his experience and recent form. In defence, Beshir El-Tabei and Wael Gomaa should have starting positions and a tough job against two of Africa’s finest strikers. Barakat, Abutrieka, and Mohamed Shawky will also be given vital roles and are expected to make a difference. Should he be ready for the match, Ahmed Hassan will be a good addition. However with the recent injury he seems doubtful for the game.

The positive thing for both Shehata and Michel is that which ever eleven players are fielded, the bench will always be just as strong. With that in mind, predicting the winner of this all-important clash is nearly impossible. One thing is sure however… African and International football fans will surely enjoy an entertaining ninety minutes of football from Abidjan between two of the continent’s finest sides.

My expected starting line-ups:

Ivory Coast: Jean-Jacques Tizie, Kolo Toure, Abdoulaye Meite, Marc Zoro, Emmanuel Eboue, Arouna Kone, Emerse Fae, Bonaventure Kalou, Didier Zokora, Aruna Dindane, Didier Drogba

Egypt: Nader El Sayed, Ahmed Fathi, Wael Gomaa, Bechir El-Tabey, Tarek El Sayed, Mohamed Barakat, Hosni Abd Rabou, Mohamed Shawky, Mohamed Abu Treka, Ahmed Hossam Mido, Amr Zaki