CAIRO - Egypt's assistant coach Shawqi Gharib says that the Pharaohs put on well in their 5-1 victory over minnows Tanzania Wednesday night in their first Nile Basin Tournament match at Arab Contractors Stadium in Cairo, according to the local media on Thursday. Gharib has hailed the performance, adding that the coaching staff still need more to guarantee qualification for the African Cup of Nations (ACN) 2012 in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. “We shouldn't be deceived by this result, but we ought to re-correct our mistakes. We let in a goal which means our defence was at fault.” El-Sayyed Hamdi opened the scoring after only four minutes, before Mohamed Abou Treika doubled the hosts' lead just eight minutes later. An own goal from Nadir Haroub left Tanzania with a mountain to climb in the 24th minute, while Hamdi hit the fourth three minutes from the hour mark to add to their woes. Ahmed Ali completed the rout 13 minutes from time, but Tanzania's consolation goal was scored on 80 minutes. The referee showed no cards in the game. On the same day, Uganda defeated Burundi 3-1. Egypt piled up the pressure upfront right from the beginning. Petrojet ace Hamdi headed home a diagonal cross from Farag to give Egypt an early lead. Abou Treika, who showed off his dribbling skills on a number of occasions, ensured the superiority of Hassan Shehata's team when he released a low shot that deflected off the post and into the net. The Ahly veteran should have completed a brace shortly afterwards, but he hit a poor clearance from inside the area high over the bar. A Farag cross was diverted into the net by Tanzania's Haroub to give the Pharaohs a three-goal lead. The visitors showed little fluency throughout the game, but a blunder from Egypt goalie Abdel-Wahed el-Sayyed nearly embarrassed him. The ball slipped through his palms, and he was fortunate that it went wide. Shikabala could have got his name on the scoresheet when he saw his precise curling free kick competently blocked by the keeper in the 37th minute. Zamalek star Shika was denied by the post from close range later on. The African champions maintained the upper hand, while their opponents remained unable to redeem themselves in a less eventful second half. Egypt coach Shehata made several substitutions after the interval, sending on Walid Soliman and Mohamed Nagui ‘Gedo' in place of Abou Treika and Shikabala respectively. Ahmed Fathi whipped in an inch-perfect cross that once again found the in-form Hamdi, who headed it into the net with aplomb. Ali netted a similar goal with a powerful header, when he rose unopposed to connect with another Farag cross. Tanzania pulled one back, when their striker beat his marker to latch onto a low cross and score from point-blank range.
