Asked why nothing has been said of Egypt’s readiness to host the tournament in the fall while much has been made of Nigeria’s preperations to host the U-17 World Cup, Blatter said, “If you have not heard anything about the tournament in Egypt, that means it’s perfect.

Congratulations to the organizing committee of Egypt,” he added.

“If you would have heard something it would have been negative. “

FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke said he’d be heading to Nigeria today to meet with FIFA and CAF officials regarding Nigeria’s readiness to host the FIFA U-17 World Championship.

FIFA says that roughly 70% of tickets have been sold for the the Confederations Cup, which begins Sunday when hosts South Africa take on Asian champions Iraq.

African champions Egypt kick-off their campaign Monday against Brazil.

Along with the weather, 2010 World Cup qualifying heats up this month in Africa

The novelty of March’s opening round of fixtures for 2010 World Cup qualifying in Africa is behind us and by the end of this month, half of just about every team’s group matches will have already been played.

There are is no more margin for error for the heavyweights that let points slip in their first match. That uncharacteristically lengthy list includes double African champions Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Morocco. Algeria was also set back by their draw with Rwanda. The only group favorites to win on day one were Tunisia, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivoire.

For Egypt, things have only gotten worse since their unlikely 1-1 draw with Zambia in Cairo, with off-the-field rows between star strikers Mido and Amr Zaki, a spate of minor injuries, and Goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary’s pending international suspension to name just some of manager Hassan Shehata’s recent problems. Shehata will bring his Pharaohs into the unfriendly confines of Blida, Algeria minus the services of Mido, in what is sure to be the most heated contest of the weekend.

Algeria's raucus fans are ready for rivals and African champions Egypt

The Moroccans meanwhile have wrung-in the changes following their infamous 2-1 home loss against Gabon. Manager Roger Lemerre has called up five home-based players for the contests against Cameroon on the 7th, and Togo 13 days later, all of whom feature for Wydad Casablanca. To make room, several notables were dropped from the side that succumbed to Gabon, including Chemcedine El Araichi, Adel Taarabt, Merouane Zemmama, and captain Youssef Safri.

The Atlas Lions’ opponents for Sunday are dealing with issues of their own, namely the departure of manager Otto Pfister who resigned suddenly ahead of a training camp for the Indomitable Lions in Belgium last week. Former Cameroon international ‘keeper Thomas Nkono has been called upon to step-in as coach for the interim.

The only one of that bunch that stumbled back in March that hs tangible reasons for optimism is Nigeria. Coach Shaibu Amodu has continued to build his own touches to the team since taking over for Berti Vogts last year. The Super Eagles should be buoyed by a consistently stingy defense (9 of the past 10 World Cup qualifying groups in Africa were won by the team that conceded the fewest goals), as well as a famous 1-0 win away to France in a friendly.

Much will be expected from the Super Eagles after beating the French in their own back yard

However, their June 7 clash has all the makings of a “trap game.” The Nigerians will have to guard against overconfidence following their win over Les Bleus, as well as keep against looking ahead to their June 20 showdown with Group B leaders Tunisia in Rades.

Zambia vs. Rwanda

Coach Renard and his Chipolopolo have a golden opportunity to take charge of Group C as they host outsiders Rwanda in the altitudinal nightmare of Chililabombwe. With Algeria and Egypt set to renew pleasantries in Blida, Zambia could see themselves at the summit of the group by the end of the weekend if they win and the Fennecs and Pharaohs cancel each other out.

PREDICTION: Zambia 2:0 Rwanda – With morale as sky high as the venue, Zambia run out two-goal winners at the minimum.

Malawi vs. Burkina Faso

While the Flames are just happy to be in the final round of qualifying, the upstart Stallions are keen on springing the upset in Group E and qualifying for the World Cup. They got the start they wanted in their first match with a win over Guinea, but the Burkinabes may find Malawi a different proposition at home from the side that were trampled 5-0 by Les Elephants in Abidjan.

PREDICTION: Malawi 0:0 Burkina Faso

Gabon vs. Togo

Few would’ve believed that these would be the teams tied atop Group A after the first round of matches. But Gabon and Togo sprung sizable away upsets over traditional powers Morocco and Cameroon respectively. Togo of course was technically the home team, but they had to beat 2008 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up Cameroon on neutral ground in Accra. A win for either team would be a giant step towards South Africa.

PREDICTION: Gabon 1:1 Togo – The winners of this result would be Cameroon and Morocco.

Tunisia vs. Mozambique

We all know how difficult it is to win away from home in Africa and the Carthage Eagles were one of only two teams to achieve the feat on matchday one. Mozambique meanwhile stood up to mighty Nigeria, sharing the spoils in a match many thought should have gone to the hosts. Unfortunately for the Mambas however, Tunisia is a well-oiled machine when it comes to World Cup qualifying, rarely dropping points to teams it’s “supposed” to beat, particularly at home.

PREDICTION: Tunisia 3:0 Mozambique – Tunisia remains atop Group B, setting up a potentially decisive showdown with Nigeria two weeks later with a chance to runaway with the group.

Cameroon vs. Morocco

Most pundits picked these as the teams that would battle it out for the Group A ticket to South Africa. Instead, these lions were left licking their wounds as they watched Togo and Gabon take 3 point leads. A loss for either team might just leave the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola as the only chance for glory in 2010.

PREDICTION: Cameroon 1:1 Morocco – Expect a desperate, hard-fought tussle between two sets of lions losing their teeth.

Benin vs. Sudan

Realistically, these two have their sights set on next year’s Nations Cup, but after a home draw with the fancied Malians, Sudan know they can keep things interesting if they can find a way passed Benin. The Squirrels however are a tough nut to crack in Cotonou.

PREDICTION: Benin 1:1 Sudan

Nigeria vs. Kenya

Much is expected of the Super Eagles following their unexpected friendly win over France. Coach Amodu has already publically spoke of the need to guard against over-confidence. The home crowd should keep any players alert that may still be basking in the afterglow of the French triumph, if the need to keep pace with Tunisians doesn’t do the trick.

PREDICTION: Nigeria 1:0 Kenya – Nigeria will look to keep talk of a Super Eagles renaissance going.

Guinea vs. Cote d’Ivoire

One of the most inconsistent, underrated teams in African football, Guinea has the potential to play spoiler when they host Cote d’Ivoire. Unfortunately for them, they’ve also displayed the kind of form that may suggests they could lose anywhere, any time. Les Elephants meanwhile will witness the return of Yaya Toure and Aruna Dindane as they look to keep the momentum going following their 5-0 thrashing of Malawi.

PREDICTION: Guinea 2:2 Cote d’Ivoire

Mali vs. Ghana

With the big derby up north and the do-or-die tussle in Yaounde, this is a match that may be flying under some people’s radars. Mali was expected to be the Black Stars’ main challenger in the group, but after only mustering a draw in Sudan the Malians theoretically must win this one in Bamako if they’re to stand any shot at being in South Africa next summer.

PREDICTION: Mali 1:0 Ghana

Algeria vs. Egypt

An always tense North African derby between teams steeped in tradition, these sides are on equal footing in the standings with everything to play for and everything to lose. Influential Marseille talisman Karim Ziani is back in the Fennecs’ fold, though striker Rafik Saifi will miss out due to suspension. Egypt will rely on the attacking triangle of Mohamed Zidan, Amr Zaki, and Mohamed Abou Treika as they attempt to get their World Cup journey back on track. 5,000 members of the Algerian police and military will be present to ensure hostilities don’t boil over.

PREDICTION: Algeria 1:1 Egypt – With their backs against the wall, the Pharaohs keep their World Cup hopes alive for now, but might not have enough to earn their first win in Algeria on their 11th try.

African football and national gear

I went ahead and rated the players more by unit than individually; probably a more useful method for friendly matches with extra substitutions.

Goalkeeping – 9 - Only Essam El-Hadary played. A bit of a shaky start at first but he picked it up fast and made some spectacular saves to keep a clean sheet. Can he take this form to Blida next week?

Defense – 6 – Yes, no goals allowed, but that was no thanks to the shaky defense. If an average keeper was in there Egypt might have allowed at least 1 goal. Oman of course isn’t horrible, but a defensive display like this will not cut it in World Cup qualifying and certainly not in the Confederations Cup. Hany Said was the best of the bunch, but not spectacular. Ahmed Ouka wasn’t as impressive as I would have hoped but he wasn’t horrible either. Both he and Gomaa get a 6 at best, and Said gets a 7.

Midfield – 6 - I understand it was hot and humid and that this was just a friendly. I do think the team overall would play better if it was an official match, but we have to rate according to performance (not conditions) and it was sub-par. Sayed Meawwad had a pretty decent match along the left flank, though I feel he doesn’t always know where he is, i.e. sometimes too far upfield when he needs to be back or too far back when he needs to be upfield. Overall he did well and I wouldn’t mind him starting in Blida.

Muhammady was pretty non-existent. Not much else to say about his performance.

Hosny Abd Rabbo was very pissed off all match for some reason. Good to have determined, aggressive DMs but he needs to watch his temper in what will be a tense atmosphere next Sunday. He played well though, and solidified his starting position I think it’s safe to say.

No idea why Abdel Aziz Tawfik started. I was quite surprised that Ahmed Khairy and Mohammed Hommos both started on the bench. This was my only beef with Coach Hassan Shehata’s lineup. Because of this, Hommos didn’t even get a chance to play. He and Khairy should have at least played a half each. Khairy was an improvement over Tawfik but there was still a bit left to be desired in the rear midfield. Tawfik will not make the final list of 23.

Mohamed Abou Treika showed why he needs to start. His form has really picked up in the past several weeks after a bad spell. Zidan was decent and it’ll be a toss-up as to whether or not he’ll start in Blida.

Strikers – 7 – Zaki was decent; not bad, not spectacular. He scored a perfectly legitimate goal nullified for offside. I have no idea why Abou Greisha was brought in, let alone actually being on the team. No offense to Ismaily fans but he is such a useless striker and by far the weakest link on that club.

Coaching – 7 – Pros: went to a 3-6-1 as I was hoping. The midfield linked up a bit better than it did against Zambia as a result. Still needs to be better though. Ouka got some decent playing time. Nothing special but he’s at least an optional alternative to Fathallah now. Started Abd Rabbo like he should have against Zambia. Started Treika and Zidan together. No Mohammed Shawky, either as a sub or a starter.

Cons: Starting Tawfik. I have no explanation for that one with Hommos and Khairy there. Maybe he saw something in practice that we haven’t. Playing Abou Greisha. I just don’t see the point of him even being on the team. Not really a con, but perhaps Abdel Wahed El-Sayed should have played some in the second half in goal, considering Hadary’s rumored suspension. If Shehata somehow knows that the suspension rumors aren’t true, then playing him the whole match was the right thing to do.

Overall more pros than cons. We’ll never agree 100% with everything every coach does. We got a good indication of who some of the starters will be and who will and won’t make the final squad. Shehata will have some difficult decisions to make in some spots.

Photos from Egypt’s training camp in Oman

Egyptian and African football and national gear

Possible return for Mido

The former Zamalek star said Mido was excluded in order to reduce tension towards his team while in Algeria. While neutral towards most Egyptian players, Algeria’s raucus fans do not particularly like Mido thanks in part to alleged comments in the past. Speaking briefly to reporters upon the team’s arrival in Oman Tuesday evening, Shehata said he wouldn’t rule out the possibility of recalling the towering striker before the Confederations Cup kicks off June 15.

“It’s true the absence of Meteb is a blow, but we have capable replacements,” he added. Many fans thought Emad Meteb’s injury was all the more reason to have every other attacking option available.

Fathy, Hassan missing

The team was set to hold its first training session on Wednesday. Missing from the squad were Ahly midfielders Ahmed Fathy and Ahmed Hassan. Coach Shehata agreed with Ahly officials for the rest of the club’s national team contingent to practice with the Pharaohs in Oman in exchange for keeping Hassan and Fathy with Ahly for the second leg of their African Confederation Cup round of 16 tie in Angola. The pair will catch-up with the national team immediately following the match.

Hassan meanwhile was not happy to be left back in Cairo.

“[The coaching staff] allowed Ahly to keep me till the end of the month, they weren’t keen to name me to the roster. I’m disappointed,” he said.

“I’m the team’s captain, and thus should have participated in the camp right from the start.”

Hassan was injured in a car accident a few weeks ago. His injuries were mild, but required stiches.

Ahly wins league after playoff with Ismaily

As a result Hassan only played a few minutes in Ahly’s league-clinching 1-0 victory over Ismaily on the weekend.

It was an extra fixture to the league calendar, after the two teams finished the season level on points. The one-match playoff was played on neutral ground in Alexandria.

The win gave Ahly it’s fifth consecutive league title, sending manager Manuel Jose, whose leaving the post to accept the Angola national team position, out in style.

Ahly fans celebrate

Personally, I don’t think any of us are in any position to definitively declare the decision to exclude Mido the wrong one. We have no idea what goes on behind the scenes or who said/did what. What I do know is this…. I completely understand the decision and have no qualms about it.

My guess is, like any reasonable technical staff, Hassan Shehata and/or Shawqy Ghareib spoke with key members of the team to get their opinion about including Mido for this feverish coming period. We have no idea what the likes of Wael Gomaa, Mohammed Abou Treika, Ahmed Hassan, etc. may have said behind closed doors in discussions with the technical staff.

Many fans are pinning the decision solely on Shehata’s shoulders. Everybody seems to attribute all blame and all success to Shehata. There is an entire staff of coaches and trainers, led of course by Shehata and Ghareib, that are wholly responsible for any successes or failures. If Shehata did everything unilaterally he wouldn’t have these individuals there to assist him.

The coaches say the decision to exclude him was purely “technical.” There is no evidence that Mido got into any disputes with coaches or players recently that were a direct fault of his own (considering the spat with Zaki may not have been Mido’s fault; though his taking it to the media is a different story). Attributing his exclusion to “technical reasons” is the right thing to do, and I’m glad the technical staff came out and gave some explanation.

The crowd in Blida will be raucous enough as it is, considering it’s a regional derby, Egypt is currently African champion, and of course… it’s World Cup qualifying. Add to that the fact that many Algerian fans dislike Mido in particular and Mido’s issues with past nonsensical behavior and temper tantrums, and it might be a bad choice to play him, even if he was included.

It’s no coincidence that Mido is always switching teams at the club level. If players could switch nationalities he probably wouldn’t be playing for the Pharaohs right now.

Some very capable strikers were called up to the team. The main thing they lack versus Mido is international experience, admittedly a very important element that cannot be replaced. I like the selections of Ahmed Raouf and Ahmed Abdel Ghany (who is a big, powerful frontman in the mold of Mido and Zaki), but I would have liked to see U-21 national team star and new Ahly signing Mohammed Talaat given a call-up.

Years of having discipline issues on the national team and we finally have a managerial staff that gets it… understands that character is the number one most vital component to any winning team. And yet, so many still haven’t learned and in fact complain when they exclude someone that has been a behavioral nightmare anywhere he’s been.

Football and national team gear

The biggest shocker was the absence of Wigan striker Mido, especially with regular forward Emad Meteb missing out through injury. Ahly midfielder Mohammed Barakat was another noticeable absence.

Zamalek winger Hazem Emam and Arab Contractors striker Ihab El-Masry also recieved surprise call-ups.

Egypt’s match with Oman is slated for May 30 in Muscat. Their date with rivals Algeria is set for June 7 in Blida. The Pharaohs’ Confederations Cup campaign kicks off against Brazil June 15.

Full Squad

Goalkeepers: Essam El-Hadary (FC Sion, SWI), Abdel Wahed Al-Sayed (Zamalek), Mohamed Sobhy (Ismaili), Al-Hany Soliman (Ittihad)

Defenders: Hany Saeed and Mahmoud Fathalla (Zamalek), Wael Gomaa and Sayed Moawwad (Ahly), Ahmed ‘Ouka’ Saeed (Harras El-Hodoud), Sherif Abdel Fadil (Ismaily), Ahmed El-Muhammady (ENPPI)

Midfielders: Ahmed Samir Farag (Ismaily), Mohammed Abou Treika, Ahmed Fathy and Ahmed Hassan (Ahly), Hazem Emam (Zamalek), Mohamed Shawqy (Middlesbrough, ENG), Hosni Abd Rabou (El-Ahly Dubai, UAE), Ahmed Khairy and Mohammed Hommos (Ismaily), Abdel Aziz Tawfiq (ENPPI), Ahmed Eid Abdel Malik (Harras El-Hodoud)

Strikers: Mohammed Zidan (Borussia Dortmund, GER), Mohammed Mohsen Abou Greisha (Ismaily), Ahmed Raouf (ENPPI), Ahmed Abdel Ghani (Harras El-Hodoud), Ihab El-Masry (Arab Contractors), Amr Zaki (Wigan FC, ENG)

African Football and National Gear

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