CAIRO: Former Egyptian national team footballer Ahmed Shobeir condemned the country's football association on Sunday for its decision not to play a match against five-time World Cup champions Brazil. He said the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) refusal to play the friendly on September 6 was a “joke.” “How can EFA turn down such a valuable game with the silly excuse that the Egyptian team have a game against Sierra Leone?” Shobeir asked Egyptian radio station Shabab Wal Riada. That match is one of the remaining two matches for Egypt in the qualification phase for the 2012 Cup of African nations. Egypt currently sits at the bottom of the table, but could manage to qualify with two victories and results elsewhere. “Doesn't the EFA realise that playing Brazil at this difficult time could boost tourism in the country?” he asked. Egypt had decided to postpone the friendly against Brazil because of the African champions' tight schedule, according to Samir Zaher, the chairman of the EFA. “Playing against Brazil would be of great importance. This is why we have asked the Brazilian Football Confederation [CBF] to put it off till another, more suitable date,” Zaher told The Egyptian Gazette, adding that the EFA has asked the CBF for an October date for the match. “We have official international games at around the proposed date, which is why the EFA has turned down the proposed date and asked the Brazilians to choose another one,” he added. Egypt also currently does not have a national team manager, after the firing of Hassan Shehata over the country's horrific campaign to defend its African title. Leading candidate and former United States manager Bob Bradley is reportedly asking for more money than the Egyptian association is willing to give. BM
