Egypt-Algeria 2009 World Cup qualifiers: US$ 300,000 per player?


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Egyptian football authorities are bent on leaving no stone unturned as they pamper their players with the hope of sailing through the 2010 World Cup qualifying match against the Algerian national team. The Egyptian federation has promised each player some US$ 300,000 if they win the crucial match scheduled for November 14.

Samir Zaher, president of the Egypt Football Association (EFA), asserted on filGoal.com that his players are already sufficiently motivated to play. “The bonus has not yet been set, but I can promise that if we are victorious, players will receive at least two million (300,000 U.S. dollars) in case of qualification. Egypt must beat Algeria by three goals on 14 November in Cairo to qualify for the World Cup in South Africa”.

In the same perspective, the national team of Egypt will face Tanzania in Aswan on Thursday in a friendly match without its professional players, technical staff of the Pharaohs announced yesterday. The friendly match is part of an elaborate preparation towards the Egypt-Algeria encounter, November 14, at the 80 000 capacity Cairo stadium.

Not being part of the FIFA calendar, however, explains the absence of professional players. Four professional players selected by Egyptian coach Hassan Shehata including, Shawki, Mohamed Zidan, Hosni Abd Rabou and Abdeldaher Al Saka are expected to join the rest of the team in Cairo next week, five days ahead of the determining match against Algeria.

Midfielder, Hosni Abderabou may be absent during the November 14 match against Algeria due to injury. He suffered an ankle injury (internal ligament) during a league match in the United Arab Emirates. Abderabou is still undergoing intensive care and might not be ready on time to join the Egyptian team.

So far, the Egyptian Players have been preparing the match against Algeria under good conditions as the football authorities continue to encourage them, in every way possible, to qualify for the World cup.

The encounter in Cairo promises to be heated following Algeria’s defeat of Egypt by 3-1 at home in June. Quoting Shalabi, an Egyptian journalist, filGoal indicated that, during the Pharaohs’ stay in Algeria, “local supporters roamed around Egypt’s hotel in the preceding night to make noise and thwart the players’ efforts to have a proper sleep.

“Algeria once said that their trip to Egypt will be joyful and full of entertainment, but I assure them that it won’t,” the journal reports Egypt skipper Ahmed Hassan as saying. According to Shalabi, “Algerian fans caused us a lot of trouble in the previous meeting”.

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