Among a myriad of reactions to the draw of the World Cup qualifiers final phase, the statements of Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' stood out the most as his expectations surpassed those of realistically-thinking Egyptians. The Pharaohs have been drawn in Group C alongside Algeria, Zambia and Rwanda, and many pundits and tacticians believe the six-time African champions have a substantial opportunity to secure a berth in the gigantic championship for the first time since 1990. The Joint stance sounds quite logical, given that Egypt have claimed the African Cup Of Nations twice in a row and currently have an unprecedented abundance of skillful lads, who have vanquished the most intimidating outfits on the Dark Continent. But Mido's confidence and expectations are way higher than repeating 1990's feat, as he's convinced the Egyptians could leave their mark on the elite competition. Not only does the 25-year-old believe the Pharaohs are capable of qualifying for the World Cup, he also thinks they have what it takes to make it to the semi-final round. "I think we are capable of reaching the World Cup semi-final," he said in an extended interview with Aljazeera.net. "With the way we've been playing I think we have the skill to qualify for the World Cup and take it from there and then do well in South Africa." Such a hope is nothing more than a pipe dream for the majority of his peers, but the Middlesbrough marksman is holding on to it tightly. European Dream The all-rounded striker has spent so many years moving from one European team to another, carving out a profession as a prominent European-based footballer. The Zamalek homegrown started off his quest for stardom at a very young age with Holland's Ajax, where he established himself and became the first Egyptian to win a European league title. Throughout his career, he played for the likes of AS Roma and Tottenham Hotspur, but he was plagued by a succession of injuries in the last couple of seasons that saw him on the fringes rather than on the pitch. Although his achievements on the international stage are not as imposing, he vouched from experience that having more Egyptians in the European leagues would definitely strengthen the national team. "I think the clubs should leave young players to go to Europe easily. That's the problem we have in Egypt," he said. "The clubs are asking for too much money for the young players. It's something the Government and the Egyptian Football Association needs to look into – to find a way to get more young players in Europe." Several Egyptian players have pulled it off in Europe, but so far none of them have maintained full consistency. Nowadays, Wigan Athletic striker Amr Zaki is undisputedly Egypt's best foreign-based player. Mido said he was not a bit astonished by Zaki's scintillating displays in the Premiership, because he was certain that his compatriot can fit in. "Three or four years ago I said I thought Zaki might be the only player who I could see would make it in the Premier League," Mido told Aljazeera.net. "And I always thought that Zaki had the physical and technical ability to do well here and I'm not surprised at all." Allegedly Unpatriotic No doubt that Mido has forged a successful career abroad, but when it comes to the international stage he rarely impresses. The towering striker has been playing for the Pharaohs for many years, but his impact has never been drastic. Many people accused him of being neglectful of his international duty, claiming he deliberately eases up to save his energy for his personal objectives.
Mido has warm relationship with Shehata His reputation as an international player got even more tarnished after his infamous row with Hassan Shehata in the 2006 African cup of nations. The attacker flew off the handle in Senegal match when his tactician decided to replace him with Zaki, who scored the winner shortly after. The notorious exchange could have developed into a shameful fist fight between the player and his coach if it wasn't for then skipper Hossam Hassan, who intervened to cool down the tension. Mido was heavily vilified for launching into a fierce argument with his coach. On the other hand, the front-man repeatedly put his unjustified tantrum down to enthusiasm. "Obviously, I was disappointed not to be there but at the same time I was very happy like any other Egyptian," he said. It's widely rumored that his relation with Shehata hasn't got any better ever since, nevertheless, the hitman assured they have both let bygones be bygones. "He's like a father for all of us. The incident we had in 2006 we spoke together and now everything is clear. There is no question that I was happy for the lads to win the African Cup. " The controversial player asserted he would meet Shehata's upcoming decisions with nothing but full respect, even if he wasn't a first choice for the frontline. "No one's guaranteed a starting position. No one at all, but I think if I keep working hard and doing well for my club and be serious and doing everything right then I think I have no problem in getting myself in the starting 11." When asked whether the fully-fit Zaki is jeopardizing his potentials with Egypt, he said he's not concerned about rivalry for a regular place. "Maybe we have to play together," he said. "We have three or four good strikers. We have Zidan playing for Dortmund at the moment, we have Emad Meteb in Saudi Arabia and he's doing okay. "We also have two other strikers in the Egyptian league. And I think each game is different and each game needs a different player." Discrimination Apart from the career-hampering injuries, Mido, like most of his fellow African players in Europe, suffered from insulting racial slurs and blasphemous chants in England. He was first taunted by West Ham United spectators in his first season with Tottenham Hotspur, but it didn't make much of an impact. "People have to know now that football players have nothing to do with any politics problems," he said. "We are just here just to play football and do our job. And I know a lot of people know that but there is still some lack of awareness from some of the crowd." Last year, some of Newcastle United fans tried to grade on Mido's nerves with such jeers, dubbing him a terrorist. The Middlesbrough forward shut them all up when he scored and made a shushing gesture while celebrating his goal, but was yellow-carded as a result. The Muslim player reckons the English FA doesn't take racial abuse very seriously, especially after his unpleasant experience at the St James' Park stadium, which was apparently more heated than the West Ham incident. "I was very frustrated back then, I wanted the English Football Association to help me with the case afterwards. I don't think the FA did and that made me more disappointed. "Now I see that The FA is, by example, taking charge against the Spurs fans who abused Sol Campbell, even though their chants were not racist." Recently, Mido has initiatively taken part in an anti-racism Campaign named 'Kick It Out', and made it clear the FA has to show more aggression towards on-field racism. "There are now campaigns to show racism the red card. Some of the campaigns have done really well."
