Egypt's national football team is training and playing in Qatar, reports Ahmed Morsy The seven-time African champions, who are currently preparing for the qualifiers of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations under Bob Bradley, thrashed Kenya 5-0 to easily hand the American coach his first win with the team on Monday. Though the announcement that the match will be against Kenya's seniors, it turned out that the Pharaohs played against a junior Olympic team at Al-Gharrafa Stadium in the first of their three friendly games in Doha. They were also scheduled to take on Niger on 28 February then Uganda on 3 March during the 10-day Gulf camp. Egypt's national football team travelled to Qatar last weekend after three friendly home games were cancelled in the wake of the Port Said tragedy in which 74 fans died in a soccer stampede in a league game between Ahli and Masri played on 1 February. Thousands of spectators from the Masri stands stormed the pitch in Port Said, attacking Ahli supporters following the end of the game. The vast majority of those killed were Ahli supporters. The Port Said match also indefinitely postponed all league matches. Earlier, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced that the revenues Egypt will earn from playing the three friendly games in Qatar will be donated to the families of the victims of the Port Said disaster. For that purpose, the team urged their supporters in Qatar to attend the friendlies. Bradley donated LE60,000 and football's world governing body FIFA put $250,000 into a charity account opened by Ahli earlier this month. The Port Said tragedy was Egypt's worst football disaster. In the wake of Port Said the Pharaohs reached an agreement with the renowned German corporation Adidas to be their outfit sponsor after Puma terminated their sponsorship deal due to the consequences of cancelling the Cairo-based friendlies. Egypt's players played Kenya wearing their new Adidas kit. The lack of playing internationals plus general deterioration in the standard of play following the revolution of 25 January dropped Egypt to No 61 in the world FIFA rankings. Egypt was No 9 in the world before the uprising began last year. Given the absence of Ahli players from the line-up with Kenya -- they refuse to play after the deaths in Port Said -- a number of unfamiliar faces made up part of the Gulf camp. In their first match since November's 2-0 friendly defeat against Brazil, Bradley's first match as Egypt's coach, Egypt played without European-based Ahmed El-Mohamadi and Mohamed Zidan. In his first appearance with the senior team, the Arab Contractors forward Mohamed Salah made a dream debut with his stunning show, scoring a goal and creating a penalty. The Pharaohs dominated the game, putting the Kenyans under pressure from the game's opening minutes after observing a minute of silence for the victims of Port Said. In the 10th minute, Egypt took the lead when Arab Contractors' right back Basem Ali reached the endline and played a low-cross to unmarked teammate Salah, who scored the opener with a curling left foot shot. Seven minutes later, Salah won a penalty that was emphatically converted by skipper Ahmed Hassan into the roof of the net. Hassan remains one game behind Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Daeyea's world record of 178 caps. The Kenya friendly was not included in FIFA's international match agenda. Hassan muted his celebration and instead flashed a message typed on his under-shirt to the victims of the Port Said disaster. In the 69th minute, Egypt increased their lead when substitute Haras El-Hedoud striker Ahmed Eid scored the third goal again from a penalty, awarded after being harshly tackled in the area, with defender Anthony Agay sent off in the process. Four minutes later, Eid then set up the fourth goal for Ismaili's Ahmed Khairi, who easily tapped home in an empty net for his first international strike. Enppi's forward Ahmed Abdel-Zaher completed the rout in the 89th minute with an amazing shift, after working hard to get back on his feet after falling to shoot past the keeper. The former African champs, whose crown recently went to Zambia, could have easily scored more goals, however, they seemed to be anything but excited amid the poor display of their underdog opposition. On the other hand, Ahli travelled Monday morning to the UAE to start their two-week training camp amid preparations for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League round of 32 clash against Ethiopian Coffee on 23 March. Six-time African champions Ahli are to play three friendly games in the Emirates starting with the Kuwaiti outfit Kuwait on 2 March, three days before they face Ahli Dubai. The last game is against the UAE's Emirates. Zamalek, looking for their first continental title since 2002, are to meet Young Africans in the second leg of the Champions League round of 64 in the Military Academy Stadium on Saturday behind closed doors as a security precaution. Zamalek drew 1-1 with Young Africans in the first leg.
