Egypt and the Ivory Coast are to clash in a 2006 World Cup qualifier. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab previews the contenders After beating Sudan and leading Group C, Egypt will host Ivory Coast on Sunday in hurdle No 2 leading to their 2006 World Cup quest. Egypt Manager Marco Tardelli has said he considers the Elephants the real contenders in their group, more so than Cameroon, Libya, Sudan and Benin. "I insist that Ivory Coast are the real favourites in this group," the former Italian midfield star said. For that reason he has recalled striker Ahmed "Mido" Hossam. Mido, who plays for French club Marseilles, was one of three European-based players recalled for the 20 June match in Alexandria along with Turkey-based Ahmed Hassan and Feyenoord Rotterdam midfielder Hossam Ghali. Earlier, Hassan was left out of the 5 June World Cup qualifier against Sudan due to injury while Mido and Ghali were excluded for not joining the squad on time. The Italian boss was furious with Mido after saying he was injured and after refusing to join his teammates for a medical check-up. "Some players think they should receive special treatment," Tardelli said at the time. "On my team there is no place for such players." Apologies were subsequently made and the air has apparently cleared. In another move, Tardelli dropped veteran striker Hossam Hassan from the team after Hassan, Africa's most capped international, told the country's FA he did not want to be invited for future engagements. Tardelli had refused to give Hassan a starting place against Sudan. "I do not wish to have a running feud with the current manager." The 37-year-old, who scored both goals in Egypt's 2-0 victory over Gabon in a preparatory match, expected Tardelli to give him a first-team place against Sudan. "I am not a young player anymore and I do not want to have problems with anyone," said an angry Hassan. "If I was given the chance to play against Sudan, we would have scored more goals." Known for his volatile temperament, Hassan has been involved in several disputes with previous managers of Ahli, Zamalek and the national team. However, the Egyptian Football Association is supporting Hassan and wants him to remain with the team. Essam Abdel-Moneim, head of the Egyptian FA, is planning a meeting between Hassan and Tardelli in a bid to improve relations between the two. In the meantime, uncapped striker Amr Zaki, who plays for Egyptian league side Enppi, was called up in Hassan's place. Egypt have met Ivory Coast 16 times since 1970, winning nine times, losing four and drawing three times. The last encounter was an African Cup qualifier in 2001 in Abidjan where they drew 2-2. Tardelli has coached Egypt in three games, two friendlies and one World Cup qualifier, winning the three games with a 7-0 goal aggregate. He has included new faces Mohamed Abu Treika, Osama Hosni, Hassan Mustafa and Hosni Abd Rabbo. Tardelli prefers the 4-4-2 formation rather than 3-5-2 that former coach Mohsen Saleh used. Ivory Coast coach Henri Michel insists his players must raise their performance for their World Cup qualifier against Egypt. Although the Ivorians beat Libya 2-0 in their opening World Cup qualifying group match, the Frenchman said his players did not perform at the level he thinks they are capable of. It took a controversial penalty to confirm their victory and they laboured against a palpably inferior opponent, tiring towards the end of the game in Abidjan. "We were completely lacking in cohesion, and we didn't put into use what we had practised before," Michel said. "I think the problem was physical freshness. The team has much more to show than it did against Libya." Defender Kolo Toure, who plays for English club Arsenal, agreed with Michel's criticism of their overall performance against the North Africans. "Of course [we did not do well], but the coach is new and he needs time to improve our football. But beating Libya was good for us and we are going to Egypt looking to win." After Egypt, Ivory Coast travel to play Cameroon. Michel knows that the Elephants' next two games, away to their main rivals, are hugely important. "We'll try and play good football, and of course aim to pick up points. These games are going to be crucial." The Elephants are the fourth African nation the 56-year-old has taken charge of in the last decade. The Frenchman had steered the Moroccan side to victory in the last-ever CAF Cup in November, Cameroon through the 1994 World Cup finals in America, and then led Morocco's Atlas Lions to France 1998. "It's terrific to take charge of a team of this calibre," Michel told the French sports daily L'Equipe. "They've never qualified for the World Cup and that's our aim." Twenty-one Elephants are pros; 10 in France, six in Belgium, two in England and one each in Spain, Germany and Holland. The Ivorian Football Federation will be hoping that the experience Michel gained at two World Cup finals with African sides in the 1990s will help the Elephants qualify for their maiden World Cup. Michel, who coached France to the semi-finals of the 1986 World Cup, was also once in charge of Tunisia, leading the Cartage Eagles at the 2002 Nations Cup finals in Mali. The Ivorians have been rocked by the death of Mama Ouattara, the assistant coach. The 54- year-old passed away in the French capital on Saturday after the conclusion of a training session. It is thought that Ouattara died of a heart attack although this is yet to be confirmed by medical experts. He was admired by the young players he encouraged through to the senior national team. The coach was the right-hand man to Michel and also worked under Michel's predecessor Robert Nouzaret. Ouattara was famous in Ivory Coast as a player where he represented both club side Stade d'Abidjan and the national team as a midfielder. He also had a long club career in France, most notably with Montpellier, whom he helped into the top flight. He took the Ivorian junior team to second place at the 2003 African Youth Championship in Burkina Faso and subsequently led the team to the World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates. Egypt Goalkeepers: Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed (Zamalek), Essam El-Hadari (Ahli), Mohamed Abdel- Monsef (Zamalek). Defenders: Mohamed Abdullah (Ismaili), Ahmed El-Sayed, Wael Gomaa (Ahli), Beshir El- Tabei (Zamalek), Abdel-Zaher El-Saqqa (Genclebirligi, Turkey), Mohamed Abdel-Wahab (Enppi), Islam Al-Shater (Ittihad, Saudi Arabia). Midfielders: Hosni Abd Rabbo, Mohamed Homos (Ismaili) Hossam Ghali (Feyenoord, Netherlands), Mohamed Shawqi, Mohamed Abu Treika, Hassan Mustafa (Ahli), Hazem Imam, Tareq El- Sayed (Zamalek), Ahmed Hassan (Besiktas, Turkey). Strikers: Ahmed "Mido" Hossam (Marseilles, France), Abdel-Halim Ali (Zamalek), Amr Zaki (Enppi), Mohamed Mohsen Abu Greisha (Ismaili).
