Egypt strikers Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' and Mohamed Zidan said on Wednesday they are ready to help the national team win their opener in the African Cup qualifiers against Burundi on Saturday. The European-based duo said also they are committed to play with Egypt, stressing that they have no problems with the coaching staff. "My relation with manager Hassan Shehata is good and our problem in the African Cup of Nations has been totally forgotten," Mido told reporters before Egypt's training in the Cairo International Stadium. "We always talk to each other and everything is normal. He proves this now when he called me up for Egypt's first competitive match since the African Cup. "What happened (during Egypt's game with Senegal) was just a moment of madness but Everybody know that I respect and appreciate Shehata a lot," he said. Mido was handed a six-month ban by the Egyptian FA after his angry exchange with Shehata on the touchline in Egypt's 2-1 victory over Senegal in the semis.
Zidan The 23-year-old star, who just completed his move to Tottenham Hotspur from AS Roma, is set to start for Egypt in their first game in Group B that also includes Mauritania and Botswana. Werder Bremen's Zidan is also due to feature for Egypt for the first time since October 2005 when he played against Cameroon in the World Cup qualifiers. Zidan has fallen out with the coaching staff after he failed to appear for Egypt in the African Cup of Nations earlier this year. But he said that he has mended the rift with Shehata, denying that he linked up with the team after a promise to start the game. "I am ready for playing after I completely recovered from the injury that left me out of Egypt's friendly against Uruguay," Zidan said. "I am just a member of the squad. The coach is the only one who has the right to decide who starts and who stays on the bench."
