Some players are on the wrong side of thirty and won’t see a tournament after the 2012 African Cup of Nations. I won’t give names but, sadly, we all know who these players are. Anyway here’s what yours truly thinks about the list of names who made the long exhausting trip to Niger.
Notable Inclusions:
- Mohamed Naguib from Ittihad el Shorta keeps his spot in the squad after his impressive performances with his club in the Egyptian Premier League. Ittihad el Shorta have the strongest defence having conceded the least amount of goals and are currently occupying top spot. Naguib’s inclusion seems justified by his club’s achievements uptil now.
- Mohamed Nasif from ENPPI has been putting some fine performances for his club in the right back position and has earned his first call up. I can’t say I’ve seen enough of him but he seems a good prospect for the future.
- Mohamed Fadl of Al-Ahly has been recalled for the national team for this crucial game. Mohamed Fadl is a player that can frustrate and elate a supporter in the same match. He can go missing for 90 minutes, but still score a last gasp winner. He can put in a man of the match performance but miss an open goal in the dying seconds. You don’t know what to expect with him.
- Amr Zaki, kiss and make up? Hassan Shehata seems to have resolved his differences with Zaki away from the media. Amr Zaki has taken the monkey off his back with Zamalek and has rediscovered his form ever since his return from Wigan. Let’s hope he rediscovers it with the national team as well.
- Amr El Souleya of Ismaily, Really? Does he even compare with Hossam Ashour and Shehab El Din Ahmed? Both superior players to him and both would not bottle it like he did against Sierra Leone. Bad call by Shehata.
