In the still lingering summer heat, a crowd of Egyptian men pressed against the gates of the al-Ahly Club on the west side of Zamalek at noon on Monday. One individual, ostensibly mid-koshari (traditional lentils and rice dish) delivery, explained that the scores of Egyptian were waiting to purchase tickets for Tuesday's FIFA U-20 World Cup match when Egypt will host Costa Rica's Los Ticos. Monday marks the beginning of play for the final 16 nations in the tournament. Advancing to the group of 16 after a convincing win against Italy on October 1, Egypt’s Young Pharaohs and their fans celebrated with fervor reminiscent of the national team's triumph over heavily-favored Italy in June's Confederations Cup. Back in June, the Pharaohs could not maintain their high level of play after the Italy match and finished the tournament disappointingly after losing to the Americans 3-0. But, Thursday’s win put the Young Pharaohs atop Group A and they are looking to move forward with more stamina than their elder counterparts did in South Africa. Egypt’s impressive play in Group A established them as legitimate contenders for the title on October 16. The winner of Tuesday night’s match will advance to the quarterfinals to face either Venezuela or the United Arab Emirates. Monday’s crowds swarming for tickets before the opening of Ahly Club's – the home of club giants al-Ahly – gates bodes well for the support that the Young Pharaohs can expect from their fans October 6, which is also a national holiday. The match will be played at the massive Cairo International Stadium and over 80,000 fans are expected. Ronald Gonzalez, coach for the Costa Rican team, conceded to Fifa.com that “the last thing you want in any competition is to play the hosts. The Egyptians appear to be a complete team.” Although Gonzalez's side put up an impressive win against Australia, 3-0, and played well in their close loss to the Czech Republic, the Young Pharaohs spiriteded play and home field advantage makes them a formidable and much-favored foe. The fans will be eagerly watching to see if Cairo-based Zamalek striker Ahmed “Bougi†Fathy will see time. Bougi came off the bench last match to score two emotional and impressive goals, but was chided for what appeared to be an angry outburst directed toward the team staff. If Bougi does not play, the team will continue to rely on al-Ahly star Mohammed Talaat and will welcome back Hussam Arafat, returning after a one game suspension. The match kicks off at 8:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday. BM
