CAIRO - Egypt's national football team have finished their preparations for their friendly game against Australia Wednesday at 7:30pm in Cairo. Egypt's coach Hassan Shehata says that the match against the Socceroos will be good preparation for his side's African Cup of Nations (ACN) qualifier against South Africa next March. "Australia have many talented players and I think the team will benefit from the match," adds Shehata, who played for the national team from 1972 to 1980. He stresses that the main objective of such games is to ensure the players are fully fit and perform well before the important ACN qualifiers. "This international friendly is an important lead-up to the important qualifier against South Africa next March," Shehata explains. Australia, four-time Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) champions, have played in the World Cup on three occasions in 1974, 2006 and 2010. The 61-year-old coach has been criticised because of the team's last month 1-0 loss away to Niger in the qualifiers. The critics have called on Shehata to resign because of the Pharaohs' recent run of poor form, but the coach promises that the team will play better in the near future, helped by the new faces he plans to introduce into the outfit. Egypt drew with unfancied Sierra Leone 1-1 in Cairo. They now tail Group G with a single point. "We call upon our fans to help us get over this difficult time," adds Shehata, who has led the Pharaohs to three successive ACN titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010, making Egypt the first African nation to achieve three such wins in a row. Australia are nicknamed the Socceroos, a hybrid word from ‘soccer' and ‘kangaroo' (an animal native to Australia). The Socceroos topped their group in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers without losing a match and only conceding one goal, and became one of the first nations to qualify for the finals. They also reached their highest-ever placing, 14th, in the FIFA World Rankings. However, they failed to progress past the group stage in the 2010 World Cup. Egypt is currently the top ranked nation in the African Football Confederation (CAF), the reigning Africa Cup of Nations Champions and 10th in the FIFA World Rankings. The head of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), Samir Zaher, has expressed support for Shehata. "The EFA supports Shehata and his team, as every Egyptian wants the Pharaohs to succeed," he says. Last week, Shehata announced Egypt's squad for the friendly, including Mohamed Zidan, recalled despite his lack of match fitness. Borussia Dortmund forward Zidan has not played since April after damaging knee ligaments, even though the Bundesliga club confirm that he has resumed full training. Al-Ahly playmaker Mohamed Abou Treika has also been named in the 24-man list, despite missing the two most recent league games with a hamstring problem. New faces include uncapped quartet Ibrahim Salah, Islam Awad, Ayman Hefni and Ahmed Deweidar. Australian head coach Holger Osieck, meanwhile, says that internationals are an important preparation for the Asian Cup in Qatar. “In the past I have coached the national team against Egypt in Cairo and they are always very tough opponents,” the German coach said in a recent statement. The Socceroos have played the top-ranked African nation Egypt once before in the semi-finals of the 1987 President's Cup tournament in Seoul, winning 4-3 on penalties after a scoreless match. "We'll be playing our regular style, we want to play positively and up the park,'' Osieck stressed. ''I want to see a lot of movement off the ball and the team playing courageously.” Egypt's squad: Goalkeepers: Abdel-Wahed el-Sayyed (Zamalek), Mohamed Sobhi (Ismaili), Amir Abdel-Hamid (Masri). Defenders: Wael Gomaa, Sherif Abdel-Fadil (Ahly), Mahmoud Fathallah, Mohamed Abdel-Shafei (Zamalek), Ahmed Samir Farag (Ismaili), Mohamed Naguib, Ahmed Deweidar (Police Union). Midfielders: Ahmed Fathi, Mohamed Abou Treika (Ahly), Amr el-Sulaya (Ismaili), Ibrahim Salah, Walid Soliman, Islam Awad (Enppi), Ahmed el-Mohamadi (Sunderland, England), Ahmed Eid (Harras el-Hodoud), Ayman Hefni (MCDR). Strikers: Geddo (Ahly), Mohamed Zidan (Borussia Dortmund, Germany), Ahmed Abdel-Zaher (Enppi), Ahmed Mekki (Harras el-Hodoud). Australia's squad: Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham, England), Nathan Coe (Sonderjysk Elitesport, Denmark). Defenders: David Carney (Blackpool, England), Lucas Neill (Galatasaray, Turkey), Jade North (WellingtonPhoenix, New Zealand), Sasa Ognenovski (Seongnam Ilhwa, South Korea), Michael Thwaite (Gold Coast United, Australia), Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow, Russia). Midfielders: Jason Culina (Gold Coast United, Australia), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England), Mile Jedinak (Genclerbirligi, Turkey), Matt McKay (Brisbane Roar, Australia), Carl Valeri (Sassuolo, Italy), Dario Vidosic (Nurnberg, Germany). Attackers: Tim Cahill (Everton, England), Richard Garcia (Hull City, England), Brett Holman (AZ Almkaar, Netherlands), Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus, Japan), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray, Turkey).
