Hosni Abd-Rabou continued his splendid displays in the 2008 African Cup of Nations despite making his first appearance in the Dark Continent's premier competition. The Ismaili midfielder excelled in the 4-2 over Cameroon and put in another impressive performance in the crushing 3-0 victory over Sudan. He scored his third goal of the tournament, demonstrating that he can compete for CAN top scorer award although he is a natural midfielder. The win moved the defending champions close to a place in CAN quarter-finals after yet another convincing display. In FilGoal.com player ratings, Abd-Rabou and super-sub Mohamed Abou-Treika earned the highest points for demolishing Sudan's defensive fence. Player Ratings: Essam Al-Hadari (7): Did not have to exert much effort due to Sudan players' failure to break through Egypt's defense, but made a couple of crucial saves in the first-half. Mahmoud Fathallah (5): Was shaky and was beaten in one-on-one situations more than once. He was replaced in the second-half, making way to Ahmed Hassan. Wael Gomaa (7): Put in a solid display, closed down space. He was just little bit incautious when trying to intercept some passes in front of Sudan strikers. Hani Saied (7): The sweeper did commit make errors, providing comfort to Egypt goalie Al-Hadari.
So was Abou-Treika Ahmed Fathi (6): He is a natural midfielder, using him on the right flank proved to be unsuccessful. He couldn't deliver good crosses and his defensive duties were not properly accomplished. Sayed Moawad (5): He is yet to replicate his excellent displays in the Egyptian League. He couldn't push forward to support his teammates upfront. Mohamed Shawky (6): Wasn't at his best against Sudan. He was too slow in transmitting the ball from midfield to strikers. Hosni Abd-Rabou (9.5): Produced an impressive display, just like he did against Cameroon. He scored the opener and skillfully assisted Abou-Treika for the third goal. Mohamed Zidan (7): He was man of the match against Cameroon, but couldn't play his usual smooth game after being subjected to tough tackles from the opponents. Emad Meteb (5.5): Once again failed to justify Hassan Shehata's trust in him, failing to make any notable contribution throughout the whole 90 minutes. Amr Zaki (6.5): The combative striker was not bad, but he is yet to live up to his potential. Substitutes: Ahmed Hassan (6): The Egypt skipper was relatively good, given that he was given few minutes to play after missing the first match against Cameroon due to suspension. Mohamed Abou-Treika (9): Simply outstanding. He was introduced in the second-half, scored twice and stunned viewers with some dazzling touches. Ahmed Al-Muhammadi: Was not tested.
