Hassan Shehata said on Sunday that filing an appeal to dismiss Mohamed Abou-Treika's yellow card is an important action due to the significance of the player for the Egyptian team. “Abou-Treika is pivotal for our team that is why we want his suspension canceled,” Shehata told Filgoal.com. Abou-Treika was cautioned in the 61st minute of Egypt's 3-1 win over Ivory Coast for his prolonged celebrations after scoring the second goal for the host nation. The yellow card is the second for Abou-Treika in the group stage of the African Cup of Nations, which means the Ahli player is suspended for Egypt's quarter-final encounter on Friday. Shehata was full of praise for his players following the win over Ivory Coast which saw the Egyptian team clinching to spot in their Group A on 7 points. “They played like men. They were absolutely motivated and redeemed themselves after losing to Ivory Coast twice in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers,” said Shehata.
Egyptian supporters filling the Cairo Stadium Shehata singled out captain Hossam Hassan who came in for the injured Ahmed Hossam “Mido” in the first-half. “He played an important role in the victory. His experience and spirit were determining factors in our favor,” he said. The Egypt coach thanked the fans for their continuous support throughout Saturday's game, stating that they were the “main component” behind Egypt's win. Shehata explained the logic behind fielding winger Tarek Al-Sayed for Mohamed Abdul-Wahab in the second-half. “It was important that we revive the left-flank, besides, the Ivorian team had started to understand Abdul-Wahab's style of play, which limited his movement,” explained Shehata. The Egypt coach has decided to give his players a day off on Sunday to watch the Group B match between Cameroon and DR Congo from the stands before having dinner with their families. Egypt will face the runners-up from Group B in the Cairo Stadium on Friday.
