Average Egypt dispose of Mauritania

CAIRO (GoPharaohs.com) - An unimpressive Egypt got the job done Sunday, beating minnows Mauritania 3-0 in a 2008 African Cup of Nations qualifier.

Mauritania was always coming to a gun-fight armed only with knives against the African champion, but the Pharaohs shot plenty of blanks.

It took two pieces of individual magic and an own-goal to comprise the scoreline, though it’s been a long-standing Egyptian habit to play down to their respective opponent.

Mainz striker Mohammed Zidan opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a spectacular, curling strike from just outside the box that found the top-corner.

Minutes later, Egypt were 2-0 up when Hossam Ghaly’s push towards goal from the wing and ensuing low-cross in front of goal ricocheted in off of Mauritania defender Bilal Sidibe.

The second-half was less inspired for Egypt’s part, though Hossam Ghaly displayed remarkable skill and athleticism with his scissors-kick of a loose ball seven yards from goal to round-out the scoring.

Egypt moved three points clear atop Group B with the win. The team’s next qualifier is away to this same Mauritania in June.

In fairness to coach Shehatta and his squad, the players were never going to treat this match like some crucial, all-or-nothing showdown. The lack of a clear strategy or tactic should at least be somewhat disconcerting however. Shehatta fielded a basic 4-4-2 with a flat midfield, in a match in which any formation would have likely done the job.

Positional analysis

Defense: The defense was hardly tested against a tall, athletic Mauritanian side that simply lacked the techinical aptitude to challenge them. The only name that stood out was that of Hany Said, who’s precise positioning and quick reflexes cut-out at least a few would-be chances. Mauritania saw their best chance to score thwarted by a sprinting Said, who had to stop on a dime and lunge backwards to intercept a pass in front of goal. Egypt’s lack of quality in defense, particularly at the center-back position, may force them out of a 4-4-2 against more formidable opponents.

Midfield: Play in the middle was quite average, though not neccessarily bad. The team simply seemed to lack direction, thus runs and positioning were left to the discretion of the players, who weren’t always on the same page. Play along the wings was erratic. Sayed Moawwad and Ahmed Fathy both showed decent skill in closed-quarters, but long-range passing and crosses were brutally inaccurate. Fathy saw a sure scoring chance fall by the wayside when he took too long to decide where to go to the ball. He was one-on-one with the keeper, charging in from the edge of the penalty area. The bright-spot in Midfield was certainly Tottenham’s Hossam Ghaly. In one sequence in defense, Ghaly made three successful slide tackles in just three motions. He would dispossess his Mauritanian counterpart, get up, and with his next motion… lunge to dispossess another. Ghaly had built a minor reputation of playing better for club than country. Today was an exception.

Forwards: Zidan, who won Bundesliga Player of the Month for his efforts in February, was the cream of the crop up-front. With Mauritania packing the box with eight and sometimes nine players, it took a well-placed strike from distance to finally break the deadlock, which Zidan provided. Donning Egypt’s number nine shirt, the shifty striker combined well with teammates early on, passing with efficiency and using the wings to send in crosses. His play grew a bit more selfish as the match wore on, but Zidan’s biggest mistake came when he squandered a late one-on-one with the keeper. He had miles of space to work with and approached the goal from the middle of the box, but the keeper dove and snatched the ball from his feel while Zidan was deciding what to do with it. Emad Meteb’s performance paled in comparison to that of his partner up-front. Meteb has failed to regain the form that made him a perminant fixture on the national team several years ago, though today’s performance was particularly lackluster. One would believe that Amr Zaky or Mido (despite his recent form) would have faired better on Sunday had they been healthy.

Man of the match: Hossam Ghaly. Zidan could have made a case for it had he not squandered such a sitter late on. Ghaly had a superb all-around match, combining well with teammates in midfield, tackling with bravery in defense, and partaking in two of his team’s three goals including the one he scored.