Egypt's Olympic football team qualified for London 2012, reports Abeer Anwar Egypt beat Senegal 2-0 to qualify for an Olympics for the first time since 1992 in Barcelona. Morocco and Gabon also qualified from Africa. Senegal will get another chance to try and reach London via a play-off scheduled for next April against a team from Asia. The qualifiers were played in Morocco from 26 November to 10 December. They had been originally scheduled to be held in Egypt but security concerns forced the African federation to switch to another venue. In Marrakech, Egypt was the first to create meaningful chances and seemed to settle down to a pattern quicker than Senegal. Mohamed Salah got to the end of a cross from the right and gave the Senegalese keeper Papa Demba Camara his first test. Salah was at it again when he shook off a defender before shooting but the tame shot, though on target, was saved easily by the goalkeeper In the 32nd minute Mohamed Abdel-Baset took advantage of a mix up and some hesitant defending to knock the ball past Camara for the first goal of the match. On the 68th minute Saleh Gomaa increased Egypt's lead when he shot from around the penalty spot into the bottom right hand corner beyond the diving Camara. Senegal was rocked and coach Sarr made his final substitute bringing in Paul Tendeng for Niasse. "It's a dream that came true after the 25 January Revolution," Hani Ramzi, the Egyptian Olympic team coach said, referring to the uprising which erupted in Egypt early this year and which ousted Hosni Mubarak as president. "The players who were able to win the match against Senegal are the same youths who were able to force Hosni Mubarak to step down. I am honoured to guide such a team to the Olympics." Ramzi said the players will celebrate and enjoy their victory, after which they will get down to the business of preparing for the Olympics in Cairo. Ramzi, with the help of his assistants, will plan a special training schedule for the team. "This win is a big victory for us and all Egypt. 2011 has been in terms of football a tough year for Egypt. By making it to the Olympics, we have put back some pride and smiles on Egyptian faces." The Senegalese coach Abdoulaye Sarr said he believed his team acquitted themselves well after finishing fourth and securing a play-off against a team from Asia which should Senegal win, will see them join Gabon, Morocco and Egypt in London 2012. Sarr told cafonline.com, "Nobody is happy to lose a match and yes we would have liked to qualify automatically for the Olympic finals but I am happy that we still have another chance to do so. This is an inexperienced team I had in Morocco and they have done well to get fourth place here." For their efforts, three of Egypt's players were named among the championship's best 11: 1. EL-SHENAWI (16 Egypt) 2. KARK (2 CIV) 3. MOAZ (5 Egypt) 4. NENET (5 Gabon) 5. ZAKARYA (6 Morocco) 6. SAMEEHG (7 RSA) 7. HOSSAM HASSAN (14 Egypt) 8. BARRADA (4 Morocco) 9. LAWAL (8 Nigeria) 10. SANE (7 Senegal) 11. MOKHTAR (14 Morocco) As for the senior Egyptian football team, the preliminary round of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (ACN) qualifiers will kick off on 29 February. Egypt will visit the Central African Republic in the first leg while the return leg will be played in Egypt on 16 June. If Egypt overcome the Central African Republic in the two-legged tie, they will meet one of the 2012 Nations Cup participants in another playoff that will determine who will qualify for the 2013 edition in South Africa. Egypt, the seven-time African winners, stunningly failed to reach next year's finals in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon after finishing at the bottom of a qualifying group that also included South Africa and minnows Niger and Sierra Leone. Egypt marked the debut of American coach Bob Bradley with a 2-0 defeat by five-time world champions Brazil in a high-profile friendly last month.
