Zidan hails Pharaohs after record win
Reuters - Sunday 31 January 2010, 20:26
LUANDA - Egypt striker Mohamed Zidan
hailed his generation of Pharaohs as the best after they
clinched a record third consecutive African Nations Cup on
Sunday.
Egypt, unbeaten in their last 19 matches at the continental
tournament, overcame Ghana 1-0 with substitute Mohamed Nagui to
thank for a last-gasp winner.
"In the end, the whole world looks at us like champions,"
Zidan told reporters.
"It is very important for our careers and for us together as
a team, I am very proud. It is unbelievable. We have the best
Egypt team of all time.
"Now if a team want to break our record, they will have to
win it four times in a row and it's almost impossible."
Egypt were pipped by Algeria for a World Cup spot in a
playoff last November but they beat four sides bound for this
year's finals in South Africa during their victorious campaign.
Consistency was key to that success, according to Zidan and
assistant coach Hamada Sedki.
"We have had the same line up very game, the only changes
would be because of injuries, that's very important," said
Borussia Dortmund striker Zidan.
Sedki, speaking through a translator, explained Egypt
winning the Nations Cup but failing to qualify for the World Cup
by saying the team were far better in three-week tournaments.
"When we are in a tournament we have all the players with
us," he told a news conference.
"We take care of them all the way, we can control
everything, health, food, everything. The players are not just
coming from their clubs for a few days."
Egypt's free-flowing football, however, was disrupted by a
young Ghana team boasting four players from the country's
Under-20 World Cup-winning squad.
Neat defending and intense pressure in the midfield could
have been enough for Ghana had they taken more chances in attack
but with Asamoah Gyan as a lone striker, the task was possibly
too tough.
"Our match was very good from the beginning but the most
important thing was the result," said Ghana coach Milovan
Rajevac, who had to make do without John Mensah, John Paintsil,
Stephen Appiah and Michael Essien.
"They had more experience and they scored on our only
mistake, when the full back did not cover his base," he added.
FC Basel's Samuel Inkoom, who has been one of the most
impressive Ghanaians at the tournament, was nowhere to be seen
when Nagui raced down in the box from the left flank to play a
swift one-two and fire home with a fine curled shot with five
minutes left.
"We had the game under our control, and with how it was
developing we were hoping for extra time, but we conceded that
goal," said Rajevac.
"It was a good experience before the World Cup anyway."