Egypt coach Hassan Shehata said the African champions could at least secure a draw against Spain if they benefited from the chances they created through out the game. "We played at a good level against a World Cup side and I am satisfied with my players and their performance," Shehata told a press conference after Saturday's 2-0 defeat in Spain. The hosts, who play Arab teams Saudi Arabia and Tunisia in Group H of the World Cup, took a first-half lead through captain Raul Gonzales before Jose Antonio Reyes sealed the victory after the break. "We played to win but it was a pity seeing (Spain goalkeeper Iker) Casillas saving at least two goals," added Shehata, who steered Egypt to their fifth African Cup of Nations earlier this year. Real Madrid keeper Casillas was given some employment in the second-half as he tipped a powerful header from Abdul-Halim Ali into a corner-kick before holding on to stinging low shot from the Zamalek striker shortly after.
Casillas' good positioning and aggression kept other attempts from Mohamed Abou-Treika, Hosni Abd-Rabou and Mostafa Gaafar at bay. On the other hand, Egypt goalkeeper Essam Al-Hadari failed to hold on to a feeble shot fro Antonio Lopez allowing Raul to score and couldn't block a long-range free-kick from Reyes in the second goal. But Shehata refused to blame Al-Hadari, Best goalie in the African Cup of Nations, for the goals and said they were results of defensive errors committed by the whole team. The Egyptian manager said also he didn't field an experimental side and he was seeking victory through every substitute he made in the game. Egypt went through the encounter without several members of the African Cup squad such as Ibrahim Saied, Ahmed Hossam 'Mido', Amr Zaki and Hossam Hassan due to different reasons.
