January 6, 2008
Egypt began their countdown to defending the African Nations Cup title with a 3-0 friendly drubbing of fellow qualifiers Namibia Saturday.
The Pharaohs play Mali next Thursday in the United Arab Emirates and Angola in Portugal three days later before opening their Nations Cup Group C campaign against Cameroon on January 22 in Ghana.
Amr Zaki, from Cairo club Zamalek, scored twice in the second half of a match predictably dominated by the five-time champions in the southern town and captain Ahmed Hassan, from Belgian outfit Anderlecht, was also on target.
Namibia, considered the no-hopers of the 16-team Cup, were playing for the first time under Dutch coach Arie Schans after the death of Ben Bamfuchile, a Zambian who guided the south-west nation into the finals.
Wasteful Egypt replaced ineffective midfielder Omar Gamal with star playmaker Mohamed Aboutraika just before half-time and his impact was almost immediate.
A back heel from Hosni Abd Rabou set up Zaki for the 54th-minute opening goal, Hassan drilled a low shot into the net with 12 minutes left and his free kick was nodded in by Zaki on the stroke of full-time.
Cameroon demand Eto’o's presence
Cameroon’s Football Federation says it wants star striker Samuel Eto’o available for Nations Cup preparations on Monday.
Eto’o's club, Barcelona, claims they had reached agreement for the player to stay in Spain for another week.
That would allow him to play in two more matches, before heading off to the African showpiece.
Cameroon are holding a training camp in Burkina Faso before heading to Ghana.
The majority of the squad has already arrived in the country.
Eto’o will be a key part of the Indomitable Lions plans, and the Federation, Fecafoot, says it is essential that he joins the squad on time.
New coach Otto Pfister will want as much time as possible to work with his players, many of whom he has yet to meet.
Under Fifa regulations, players are required to be available for their national sides two weeks before the start of a major tournament.
It is understood that Barcelona have written to Cameroon saying that the player’s recovery schedule would be badly affected if he travelled this weekend.
Eto’o has only just returned to first team action after many months on the sidelines through injury.
Drogba Declared fit for AFCON
Chelsea star Didier Drogba is delighted to be back in the frame again after missed his side’s last eight matches due to undergoing an operation on his knee in early December.
Chelsea supporters were equally delighted to see the Ivorian hitman was amongst the substitutes for Chelsea’s FA Cup victory over Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, though it was something of a tease as he will be flying out on Sunday to represent his country in the African Cup of Nations in Ghana.
“It is a difficult situation for me and for all the African players who are at the club and we want to play the maximum games for Chelsea,” said Drogba.
“I am feeling good, recovering from this injury, and it’s good to be on the pitc
h and start training again.”
Drogba was criticized in some circles for the timing of his operation, but he insists that he had the team’s best interest in mind and is not at all surprised that the team coped so well without him, collecting 13 out of 18 points in the Premier League
“It is what I expected and it is why I decided with the club and the medical department to have this surgery – because I knew the boys would do it without me.”
Chelsea will now also have to fend withtout Drogba’s Ivorian team-mate Salomon Kalou will join him, as well as John Obi Mikel (Nigeria) and Michael Essien (Ghana).
Goal and AFP
| COPYRIGHT © 2007-2011 Zamfoot Sports Agency. All rights reserved. |
