February 04, 2008	Monday	Muharram 25, 1429

KUMASI (Ghana), Feb 3: Egypt will have a full-strength squad available for the first time when they continue the defence of their African Nations Cup title, which they won in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998 and 2006, against Angola at the quarter-final stage here on Monday.

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata has the pleasant dilemma of choosing among several options now that midfielder Mohamed Aboutrika has returned to full fitness.

Aboutrika who has been used as a substitute in previous matches, coming on with a positive impact as Egypt finished top of Group C after their first three matches in Kumasi.

But Shehata will be hard-pressed to accommodate the Al Ahli player after the success of his midfield in the matches against Cameroon, Sudan and Zambia.

However, it is their defence that the coach is most concerned about as Egypt come up against a highly-rated Angola attack.

“I wasn’t happy with the defence, we need to work hard before the quarter-final,” he told reporters this week.

Mohamed Zidan is expected to return in a three-man attack after being a substitute in Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Zambia.

It is a first quarter-final appearance for Angola, who have never progressed so far in the biennial competition and whose tournament pedigree contrasts starkly with record five-time champions Egypt.

But coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves has insisted his players deserve to be among Africa’s elite after their performances in Ghana.

“We have new challenges and we want to go as far as we can in this test. We are ready for the fourth game but we are also thinking about the fifth,” he said after Thursday’s goalless draw with Tunisia. “We don’t want to stop here, we want to get to the semi-finals.”

Strikers Flavio and Manucho form the threat to Egypt’s defence, fed by a regular supply from left winger Gilberto.

Flavio and Gilberto play for Cairo giants Al Ahli and will come up against many of their club mates on Monday.

Manucho, Manchester-United’s new recruit, has just been loaned to Panathinaikos until the end of the season in a deal sealed in the departure hall of Tamale airport on Thursday night just hours before the transfer window in Europe closed.

Meanwhile Shehata insists: “We came here to win. Our responsibility is greater than the other teams here in Ghana because we are the defending champions. We’re here to retain our title.” Keeping this in mind, Egypt’s players even sacrificed a cow on Friday in the hope that it would bring them luck in Monday’s match.

In the other quarter-final, Tunisia face Samuel Eto’o’s Cameroon.

Despite playing at eight successive Nations Cup tournaments, winning in 2004 and qualifying for the last three World Cups, Tunisia lacks charisma and are rarely in the limelight while Cameroon, Ghana and Ivory Coast are considered the continent’s glamour teams.

“Ivory Coast and Cameroon have the individual talent. Our strengths are our tactical discipline and our organisation,” said midfielder Mehdi Nafti.

As their coach said, “We have 23 players in the squad, we don’t have any stars but every player can play in every position, that’s the big quality in this side. The others have the stars, the big players who play in the best teams in the world so it’s easier to talk about them.”—Agencies