Stars target Pharaohs

Source/Credit: Sports Reporter-AFP.

Egypt turned up for the African Cup of Nations soccer finals in Angola with only one intention, to defend their status as African champions, and by any assessment they’ve made a pretty good fist of achieving that aim.

That mission has come under threat from one of the most disciplined sides ever to play at the Nations Cup — Ghana’s youthful Black Stars.

Thursday’s 4-0 wipe out of eight-man Algeria put the six-time champions into tomorrow’s final against a Ghana side that has overcome a spate of injuries to star players to make their first final in 18 years.

The youngsters, eight of whom are world champions having won the Fifa Under 20 World Cup last year, have brushed aside the absence of such luminaries as Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari, Stephen Appiah, John Pantsil and John Mensah to reach their fist final since 1992.

One of Egypt’s goalscorers in Benguela, Mohamed Zidan, said: “We were one million times better than Algeria. We haven’t won five games here in this competition to lose the final.”

Captain Ahmed Hassan, in his 171st international, warned Ghana to expect more of the same silky smooth football from the kings of Africa.

“Against Ghana we will continue to play as we have started.

“We don’t care how they play, we are here to defend our title, and we’ll do everything to succeed.

“Our 4-0 win over Algeria has proved we are the best team in Africa, without argument.

“It wasn’t a question of revenge against Algeria (for the World Cup play-off defeat in November).

“I told my players before the semi-final that you are the best and what you have to do is prove it on the pitch.

“We don”t care about the World Cup and losing the play-off to Algeria, we put ourselves in that position after dropping two points against Zambia in an earlier qualifier.

“Anyway we are now seeing the fruits of our effort here.”

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata was purring over the Pharoahs’ latest imperious performance.

“We retained our dignity with this win, we proved our strong image. I tried to do the best with the players I’ve got (Egypt like Ghana are missing some key players to injury).”

Tomorrow’s climax will be a fascinating clash between the champions whose defence and attack is rock solid and the Black Stars’ mix of Under-20 world champions thrust into the spotlight and a smattering of experienced players.

Egypt, unbeaten in the African Cup of Nations now for a record 18 games, arrived in Luanda from Benguela yesterday, with a training session planned for late today.

Ghana are already in town and trained yesterday morning as Serb coach Milovan Rajevic maps out his blueprint to topple the continetal champions for what would be the west African country’s fifth title.

Despite Ghana’s superb run to the final it is Egypt who will start as hot favourites.

Egypt assistant coach Shawky Gharib commented: “We have said from the very beginning of the competition ‘we are the champions, we are here to defend our title and only to do that’.

“The Ghana team are very strong, they are going to the World Cup.”

A World Cup that will be sadly on the evidence of their imperious run to tomorrow’s final — 14 goals to two conceded, the only side unbeaten after five games — be missing Egypt.

“We have finished all our five games in Angola with victories and have played three World Cup qualifiers (Nigeria 3-1, Cameroon 3-1, Algeria 4-0), scoring 10 goals,” noted Gharib.

“We won our games because of the strategies that we planned and used.

“We also planned well on how to handle each opponent since the start of the competition.

“Against Algeria we played an excellent match for African football.

“Now we are due to meet another team going to South Africa in Ghana, they are one of the strongest teams here.”

Ghana have certainly evolved into a strong defensive unit which attacks swiftly on the counter.

With Rennes striker Asamoah Gyan as the spearhead and his namesake Kwadwoh Asamoah pulling the strings in midfiled, Ghana believe thay have enough in their tank to take them through one more game.

Succesive 1-0 wins have taken them to the final after they opened their account with a 1-3 reverse aganist fellow World Cup qualifiers Cote d’Ivoire.

The way they have picked themselves up from that defeat and the loss, in that match, of captain Essien, speaks volumes of the strength of character these younsters possess.

This match will be their biggest test yet. —