Mohamed Zidan has equated Egypt's African Nations Cup semi-final against Algeria to "war". The Pharaohs, who are bidding for third consecutive title in Angola, will face their arch north African rivals in the last four tomorrow night and sparks could fly. Their most recent meeting, in Sudan in a World Cup finals qualifier play-off in November, was overshadowed by violent incidents involving fans and reported cases of attacks on the team buses by rival supporters following Algeria's 1-0 win.
Zidan says the stakes will be just as high in Benguela. "It will be a matter of life and death in that game," he said. "For both sides it will be like a war. "For us it is a chance to show the world that we deserve to go to the World Cup and if we beat them, we will be able to watch the World Cup with pride." The Borussia Dortmund striker also pointed out that the pressure will on the Algerians. "We are the ones who do not have any pressure. We are the champions and we are better than them.Everybody will see which is the better team."
Meanwhile, Zidan also hailed the Egypt coach, Hassan Shehahta, as a "father-like" figure of the team, praising his role in the team's success. "He's a very good coach," he said. "He's now been our national coach for five years, and he's been doing very well. "What's important is that he has a good relationship with us. He's like a father - the whole team likes him very much. We play with him, make jokes with him. He's not a young coach, and it's strange to see somebody of his age who is so close to his team."
Meanwhile, the African Cup of Nations will remain a biannual event for the foreseeable future, the continent's football chief Issa Hayatou has confirmed. There have been growing calls for the tournament to follow other continental events like the European Championship and the Copa America and be held every four years, partly to keep the strong interest and also not to disturb clubs during their mid-season.
But Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Hayatou said: "It is totally excluded at present. We need it in our countries' sports infrastructure. Four stadia were built in Ghana 2008, another four this year in Angola. These would not have happened without the Cup of Nations." However, Hayatou has not ruled out the possibility of the tournament shifting to odd years to prevent two major global events taking place in the same year - 2010 is a prime example with the Angola showpiece followed by the World Cup in South Africa in June.
He added: "The decision is actually pending. No decision has been taken yet." Hayatou was full of praise for the quality on show in the current competition, adding: "At the quarter-finals, we have Algeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Ghana and Nigeria, all countries that will represent the continent at the World Cup in South Africa later in June." * With agencies