New Coach, new playing style, new Generation: host Egypt, is considered favourite at the Africa Cup. The home advantage is, however, at the same time the biggest challenge for the Team of Liverpool Star Mohamed Salah.
Seven stars on the Jersey – that Egypt is the record-holder for the CAN, the Africa Cup (Coupe d’afrique des Nations) is. Also when Aligning, the African championship, the country is at the top. Already for the fifth Time (1959, 1974, 1986, 2006, 2019) place the CAN in the country of the Nile and the pyramids, instead of (21.06 to 19.07.2019). This time, however, it is the first Time that he will be held in the summer, and not as usual in the Winter.
Egypt is a candidate for the title
Egypt is always at least as a co-favorite at the Africa Cup of Nations since 1957 in Ethiopia for the first Time was played and Egypt has won. The preliminary round should survive the Team of the Mexican coach Javier Aguirre locker: Zimbabwe, Uganda, and the democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are the opponents.
Topstar Team: Mohamed Salah
The largest competitors of Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia, Nigeria and, of course, title-holders Cameroon and Algeria, and the ivory coast play in other groups. To work around these Teams for the time being, is to win the group is important. “If Egypt would occupy the second place in his group, would be the way very difficult,” says the Egyptian sport experts Hassan Al Mestekawy.
The Strengths of the “Generation of Salah”
Today’s Generation of Egyptian football team is called “Salah’s family Generation”. Mohamed Salah is the most prominent Egyptian players and according to many sports experts, even the best in the history of the country. After Egypt had last played under the Argentinian Coach Hector Cuper is very controlled and defensive football, believes Al-Mestekawy in this Africa Cup, and a new way of playing: “Aguirre is playing with a completely different philosophy and has an offensive orientation,” said the expert.
To rely solely on Liverpool striker Salah, but it is wrong, Al-Mestekawy: “There has to be a group of players, the appearance together, him opportunities, and support him – whether in the Offensive or on the Defensive.” These players are there, says Sherif Abdelkader, head of the sports editor of the Egyptian newspaper Al-Shorouk: “Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, Abdullah Al-Saeed, Amr Warda, for example.”
Egypt’s biggest weaknesses
The African Champions, but also has an obvious Problem, to Al-Mestekawy: “The greatest weakness of the Egyptian teams in Particular, and the Arab teams in General, is the tension and the distraction of the players, especially when they are placed in the big Play of the media and the Public under pressure,” said Al-Mestekaw. The home advantage is also the biggest challenge for Egypt. “As the Egyptian team in 2008, riding without the pressure of the championship in Ghana best, we saw the best football performance of Egypt in its history.”
Egypt’s Coach Javier Aguirre
In the minds of Egyptian football fans, however, is burned-in yet another event: The year in 1974, when Egypt hosted the championship and in the semi-finals was eliminated after it had led with two goals against Zaire. Egypt lost 2:3, despite the “legendary Generation” by Ali Abo Greisha, Hassan El-Shazly, Mahmoud El-khateeb and Hassan Shehata.
Salah’s family a Chance at Ballon d’or
It was not the only Time that Egypt took in his own Land the title. That is not to happen again. Al Mestekawy said: “A team that wants to win, not only to focus on defense or attack. If the team is defending, for example, must be in the counter so quickly and intensively, and successfully, as the Italian team at the world Cup in 1982 has shown.”
For this strategy of rapid Mohamed Salah is perfect. Hany Abo Rida, head of the Egyptian football Association, last visited the training camp of the “pharaohs” and is optimistic: “Salah has promised to give his Best to win the championship.” And added: “He is fighting the Ballon d’or [the award as the best player of the year, editor’s note. d. Red.] to win, and the profit of the CAN increases his chances.“