Egypt has once again delayed qualifying for the 2008 African Cup of Nations. Inas Mazhar tries to figure out why Defending champions Egypt seem set to fill one of the remaining three spots in next year's African Cup of Nations in Ghana after forcing a 0-0 draw in Burundi and despite having captain Ahmed Hassan sent off early in the second half. Striker Emad Meteb came closest to breaking the Group 2 deadlock with a shot that came back off a post 14 minutes into a tense Bujumbura showdown. The reigning African champions could have secured their qualification with victory over Burundi in an encounter postponed from last June. A point clear of a Botswana side who must visit Egypt next month, the Pharaohs welcomed back striker Ahmed Hossam Mido in the Burundi game but were missing his fellow forward Mohamed Zidan due to a foot injury. Head coach Hassan Shehata failed to win a single away game in the qualifications, a performance which has disappointed Egyptians and raised question marks from the press as to whether Shehata was really the best man to defend the title which he won in 2006. Rumours have it that the board members of the Egyptian Football Association are split about Shehata's future. Some say he should go, while others are not so sure. Shehata himself is said to be feeling uncomfortable by the presence of the new technical manger of the EFA Mahmoud El-Gohari who was appointed a month ago. El-Gohari, who has coached the team on four separate occasions, is pegged, continue the rumours, to try one more time. El-Gohari led Egypt to the World Cup in Italy 1990 and to its fourth African Nations Cup title in 1998 in Burkina Faso. Before his appointment by the EFA he was in charge of the Jordanian national team, leading Jordan to the Asian championships for the first time. In Egypt El-Gohari is technical director of all Egyptian football teams, but was asked to leave the first team in peace in an attempt to maintain stability with only four months to go before the ACN kick-off. If El-Gohari does return it would be with the unwitting help of Shehata who has failed to make any remarkable progress with the team. The lineup for next year's ACN became a lot clearer after a busy weekend featuring 19 qualifying matches across the continent. The number of qualifiers for the 26th edition rose to 13 as Guinea, South Africa and Zambia sealed their places. Angola, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Tunisia and hosts Ghana had already secured places at the biennial showpiece of African football. Guinea knew maximum points at home to Cape Verde Islands would ensure Group 8 glory and they cruised to a 4-0 win with all the goals coming during the first half. Algeria, who began the final round level on points with Guinea but under pressure owing to an inferior head-to-head record, lost 2-1 to Gambia in Banjul after taking the lead. Captain Chris Katongo scored a 12-minute first-half hat-trick to give Zambia a shock 3-1 win in Cape Town over South Africa in Group 11, who replied through recalled striker Benni McCarthy five minutes into the second half. South Africa, whose suicidal defending and sloppy passing infuriated Brazilian coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, fill one of three places reserved for the best runners-up. Cameroon surrendered the last 100 per cent record in the qualifiers as a Juvenal Edjogo- Owono goal after 39 minutes gave Equatorial Guinea a 1-0 win in the top-of-the-table Group 5 clash. Tunisia suffered their first defeat, losing 3-2 in Sudan, but only pride was at stake as both countries had qualified for the finals from Group 4 where Mauritius came from behind at home to draw 1-1 with Seychelles. Zimbabwe, who miss out on the finals after two consecutive appearances, finally won in Morocco-dominated Group 12 with second half goals from Richard Mteki and Method Mwanjali securing a 3-1 home victory over Malawi. Chad struck in the final minute to snatch a 1-1 home draw with Congo in Group 11 and Swaziland completed a miserable Group 6 campaign without a goal after being held 0-0 by visiting Eritrea. The final qualifiers on 12 October pit Egypt against Botswana in Cairo and Mauritania against Burundi in Nouakchott in Group 2 while Togo face Mali in Lome and Sierra Leone meet Benin in Freetown in Group 9 fixtures.
