Mido mended, Hassan hurt

CALAIS, France (GoPharaohs.com) – Egypt concluded its training camp in the North of France on Tuesday with manager Hassan Shehatta unveiling his final list of 24 that will travel to Abidjan for Egypt’s World Cup qualifier against Ivory Coast.

Mido saw extensive action in the national team’s 5-0 thrashing of local club Calais, scoring three goals. The performance suggests perhaps that the 22-year-old Tottenham striker will be fully fit on Sunday.

Meanwhile, veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan suffered an injury that may keep him from taking the field.

It wasn’t immediately clear how severe the injury was, or how extensively he figured into manager Hassan Shehatta’s plans for the match to begin with. Team physiotherapists did however say that it is doubtful Hassan would be cleared to play by Sunday.

Any projected lineups for Sunday’s all-or-nothing showdown are purely speculation. Shehatta has a policy of not announcing his starters until the day of the match.

Only Nader El-Sayed, Mohammed Shawqy, Hosny Abd Rabbo, and Ahmed Fathy are thought to be definite starters, leaving seven spots undecided. If fit however, it is likely Mido will feature as one of two starting strikers.

Rainy season in Abidjan

West Africa is currently in the midst of its rainy season. This may not bold well for an Egyptian team unaccustomed to playing in such conditions.

The forecast for Sunday in Abidjan currently calls for partly cloudy skies with a 50% chance of Thunderstorms. High temperatures are expected to be around 28 celcius (83 farenheit).

It isn’t known whether Shehatta would change his approach should adverse weather conditions prevail. He did however tell the press that he is aware of the possibility of rain.

CAF has appointed South African referee Jerome Damon to do the officiating.

Cameroon host Libya also on Sunday. The Indomitable Lions need a win to stay in contention in what is turning out to be a three-horse race in Group 3.

Egypt must beat the Elephants if they are to hold any realistic chance at qualifying for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals. Any other result would deem Egypt’s qualification chances purely mathematical.

Only the winners of the five groups qualify to next years finals in Germany from the African zone.

Full squad:

Goalkeepers:
Nader El Sayed (Ahly), Abdelwahed El Sayed (Zamalek), Amir Abdel Hamid
(Ahly)

Defenders:

Wael Gomaa (Ahly), Bechir El-Tabey (Rizespor, Turkey), Emad El Nahhas
(Ahly), Tarek El Sayed (Zamalek), Mahmoud Fathalla (Ghazl Mahalla), Ahmed
Fathi (Ismaili), Ahmed Abo Mesallem (Ahly)

Midfielders:

Mohamed
Barakat (Ahly), Hosni Abd Rabou (Strasburg, France), Mohamed Shawky
(Ahly), Ahmed Hassan (Besiktas, Turkey), Mohamed Abu Treka (Ahly),
Ahmed Eid Abdel Malik (Haras Al Hedood), Hazem Emam (Zamalek), Hassan
Mustafa (Ahly)

Forwards:

Osama Hosni (Ahly), Abdelhalim Ali (Zamalek), Amr Zaki (ENPPI), Mohamed
Mohsen Abougreisha (Ismaili), Mohamed Zidan (Werder Bremen, Germany), Ahmed Hossam Mido (Tottenham Hotspur, England)