Few hours are away from once again a decisive game with all the odds against the Egyptian national team.

Last meeting: ACN 2004: 0-0...

We are in a very tough position in the group, with bagging the 3 points from tomorrow’s game our only option to have a chance of passing through.

Yesterday Libya defeated Benin with a score of 4-1 and that left us with a mountain to climb.

Tardelli could never be in a tighter corner as he has to find a solution for a handful of problems varying from the lack of support to players missing motivation, coming to the playing problems, and the fact that he doesn’t have the luxury to choose who to lead his attack.

The current football environment is full of contradictions and law suits only harming the concerning parties. The lack of planning left us unsettled till last week on where the game will be held. Will it be the Cairo International Stadium which is officially past his repairing schedule, or will the game be played in the much smaller Contractors Stadium? All this had a negative effect on the team’s morale and concentration.

With Mido injured and busy with his career saving move, and with Hazem and Bilal failing to pass a medical test in addition to the suspension of Abdelhalim Ali, the attack looks weak. Tardelli had to pick Amr Zaki, Osama Hosny and Abu-Greisha, all players lacking the experience needed to lead the Egyptian attack in such a crucial game.

The midfield will be weakened as Hossam Ghaly is suspended, while Tamer Abdel-Hamid is unavailable.

On the other hand Cameroon can never feel better abut themselves, defeating Ivory Coast in the last game. And their players are in better form due to the fact that they play in Europe and the leagues there already kicked off if not about to.

Their star striker Samuel Eto’o just completed his dream move to Spanish giants Barcelona and he must be willing to live up to his reputation and take his country by hand to the World Cup.

While our respectable domestic league gave our national team no time for long camps to raise fitness levels, Tardelli announced that the only players physically fit are the Turkey based players, “Beshir, El Saka and Ahmed Hassan.”

Winfred Schaffer, the German coach of the formidable Lions predicted that the game will end in a 1-1 draw, thus eliminating Egypt’s dreams in going on in this group, and he declared that such a result will be acceptable.

On the other hand, Tardelli stated that he is aware that any result other than a win will get us out of the race, so he will attack all the way to secure the three precious points.

In just a few hours we will know if Egypt will go on, or whether they will bow out of the group, and once more force us, the fans, to wait another four years?..

Come to EP for a live report on the hugely important game...

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