OPINION: The sweet victory gave Egypt the title for the 5th time and gave Egypt a clear edge over Cameroon and Ghana who have won it 4 times in the past.

More than just a cup

Not only this, but on the players' level, the team captain Ahmed Hassan was chosen as the Player of the Tournament. The Egyptian midfielder was a true leader, almost the top scorer and a tireless machine everywhere on the pitch. He was tested in very critical moments and was up to the challenge. He proved that he is the best Egyptian professional in the current generation of players. Hassan, who scored in the final of the African Cup of Nations 1998 against South Africa was a major factor in Egypt's success in this tournament in 2006.

Add to this Essam El Hadary, who was chosen as the Goalkeeper of the Tournament after his superb displays for Egypt. Any successful team needs a great goalkeeper and in Burkina 1998, Nader El Sayed was the hero between the sticks and was also the goalkeeper of the tournament after conceding just a single goal. Eight years later, the man who played as a substitute for Nader in Burkina Faso became the hero of the Egyptian team.

Egypt's gains from this tournament are endless, but some of them, in terms of players, include:

Mohamed Abdel Wahab: A modern version of Ahmed Ramzy: tireless left back, strong in defence and has the ability to shoot well. Add to this his great crossing capabilities. He played the role of Mohamed Emara and was even better thanks to his physical fitness and better defending. There is no doubt that Abdel Wahab will be a target for many European clubs looking for a great Roberto Carlos-style left back.

Mohamed Abotreka: Non-Egyptians had never heard of Abotreka before this cup, but now everyone is mentioning his name as the discovery of the tournament. Eurosport commentators kept mentioning Abotreka as arguably the player of this tournament and praised his intelligent moves and passes. There is no surprise that this Egyptian version of Zinedine Zidane will be a target for top European clubs in summer.