Ahmed "Mido" Hossam says he can help English side Tottenham Hotspur qualify for the UEFA cup next season, and judging by his performance in his side's league game at home to Fulham, he may get his wish, writes Khaled El-Farra The Egyptian star will find the harsh English winter weather challenging, and he was the only outfield player wearing gloves on this bitterly cold Saturday afternoon in White Hart Lane, North London. Spurs eventually ran out 2-0 winners in the end, but they were made to work for it by a Fulham team -- owned by Egyptian multi-millionaire Mohamed El-Fayed -- content to sit back and soak up an endless stream of Spurs pressure. In what was an ultimately scrappy game, Mido was often the one shining light for Spurs, and he showed his intent as early as the fourth minute when he collected a pass from Sean Davis wide on the right flank. Mido cut inside and released a tame shot with his left foot from 25 yards out that trickled harmlessly wide of Fulham's goal. Yet Mido had fashioned the opportunity out of nothing, and hence his endeavour was greeted by heartwarming chants of "Mido" from a Spurs faithful still fresh with memories of his superb double against Portsmouth a couple of weeks earlier. On nine minutes Mido managed to wriggle free of Fulham defender Alain Goma and got to the byline inside the penalty area only for Goma to send the Egyptian tumbling to his feet with a rash challenge. Somehow the referee failed to spot Goma's clumsy lunge and no penalty was awarded, much to Mido's disdain. On 11 minutes Davis broke clear down the right wing and produced an inch perfect cross to Mido who had been lurking unmarked on the left edge of the penalty box. Mido chested the ball down onto his left foot but shot high and wide from a difficult angle, much to the annoyance of his teammates. Fellow strike partner Jermaine Defoe made his feelings known to Mido, indicating that it would have been better had the Egyptian laid the ball off to him instead. On 17 minutes the ball fortuitously broke for Mido near the centre circle, and with both Goma and Zat Knight bearing down on him, Mido produced a bit of brilliance by unleashing an audacious 40-yard lob that arrowed agonisingly wide of Fulham goalkeeper Edwin Van der Saar's top right hand corner of the goal. Mido was now brimming with confidence, and on 27 minutes he used his upper body strength to fend off the attentions of Fulham midfielder Claus Jensen before side stepping Knight's challenge to curl a low shot that left Van der Saar stretching to palm away to safety. Mido was constantly drifting out to the right wing and dragging aging central defender Goma with him. From there Mido was using his pace to torment Goma, and on 31 minutes Spurs defender Steven Kelly's ground pass into Mido down that right side seemed harmless enough as Goma was close on the Egyptian's back. But if Goma thought that tight marking was the solution to his Mido conundrum, he was woefully mistaken. Mido cleverly faked to receive Kelly's pass only to let the ball roll between his legs before spinning away down the line. The move completely wrong-footed poor Goma and left the ailing Frenchman trailing in Mido's wake. Again chants of the Egyptian's name echoed around the stadium. On 53 minutes came what was probably Mido's best chance of the game. With little room, he showed terrific feet and agility to evade 6ft 4in Knight in a tight corner down near the byline, before cutting a low cross that was deflected behind for a corner kick. From the resulting corner the ball was flicked goalwards by Spurs' Andy Reid, and Mido, with his back to goal, arched his neck muscles to head the ball just wide of the post. Holding his hands to his head, Mido looked up to the gray overcast skies and cursed his bad luck. One man's bad luck is another man's good fortune, and on 77 minutes substitute Freddie Kanoute settled Spurs' nerves with a brilliant free kick to make it 1-0. Soon after, rain came pouring down and it signalled Mido's departure, replaced by Robbie Keane. Spurs killed the game in the last minute with Keane's well taken goal, chipping the ball adroitly past Van der Saar to make it 2-0. At the final whistle Mido, now in tracksuit top and bottoms, gleefully embraced players by the Spurs dugout. Three vital points for Spurs and another step closer to European football next season for Mido.
