Comments on: Mabrouk! http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/ Wed, 03 Dec 2008 22:37:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Abu Muqawama http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/#comment-392001 Abu Muqawama Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:49:59 +0000 http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/#comment-392001 I wrote off their last championship to home-field advantage, but they impressed the heck out of me this time around. You have to understand, there is some real talent in the teams south of the Sahara. I watched Ghana play in the World Cup and thought they had a midfield as dynamic and good as anyone's with Muntari, Essien, etc. Ivory Coast is also a truly impressive team with some real world-class talent. By contrast, I do not think Egypt has a single truly world class player along the lines of a Drogba or Essien or Eto'o. I think Egypt's success can be partly attributed, instead, to the success of the domestic league in Egypt. There is a solid cadre of locally-based players from which Shehata can draw and also a small group of really impressive play-makers abroad. (Zidan comes to mind first and foremost.) Unless you're Brazil (or France, which instead has a very good national training center), having a solid domestic league is really important in developing teams capable of winning tournaments. I cannot imagine Egypt will not qualify for the World Cup this time around. They have a genuine "Golden Generation," and unlike the golden generations of England and Portugal of late, the Egyptians have actually won something. Credit to the victors. I wrote off their last championship to home-field advantage, but they impressed the heck out of me this time around. You have to understand, there is some real talent in the teams south of the Sahara. I watched Ghana play in the World Cup and thought they had a midfield as dynamic and good as anyone’s with Muntari, Essien, etc. Ivory Coast is also a truly impressive team with some real world-class talent.

By contrast, I do not think Egypt has a single truly world class player along the lines of a Drogba or Essien or Eto’o. I think Egypt’s success can be partly attributed, instead, to the success of the domestic league in Egypt. There is a solid cadre of locally-based players from which Shehata can draw and also a small group of really impressive play-makers abroad. (Zidan comes to mind first and foremost.) Unless you’re Brazil (or France, which instead has a very good national training center), having a solid domestic league is really important in developing teams capable of winning tournaments.

I cannot imagine Egypt will not qualify for the World Cup this time around. They have a genuine “Golden Generation,” and unlike the golden generations of England and Portugal of late, the Egyptians have actually won something.

Credit to the victors.

]]> By: Frederik http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/#comment-391956 Frederik Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:38:58 +0000 http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/#comment-391956 Ash Shakkak, I'm just hoping for more, after two African championships in a row! I think this team, with its good organization, could do fairly well during a world cup. Ash Shakkak, I’m just hoping for more, after two African championships in a row! I think this team, with its good organization, could do fairly well during a world cup.

]]> By: ash-shakkak http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/#comment-391907 ash-shakkak Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:40:09 +0000 http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/#comment-391907 Why the sour grapes, Frederik? Let them have their day in the sun. Why the sour grapes, Frederik? Let them have their day in the sun.

]]> By: Alaa http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/#comment-391896 Alaa Mon, 11 Feb 2008 09:46:42 +0000 http://arabist.net/archives/2008/02/10/mabrouk/#comment-391896 shehata is a new addition and this is a mostly young team (and the only decent team egypt had in my short life). ya3ni hopefully they'll manage to qualify this time. shehata is a new addition and this is a mostly young team (and the only decent team egypt had in my short life).

ya3ni hopefully they’ll manage to qualify this time.

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