Egypt tactician Hassan Shehata voiced his satisfaction with spectators' support during the Pharaohs' 1-1 draw with Zambia in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers final phase. Although a myriad of pundits speculated that the game would be a walk in the park for the African champions, the Chipolopolo salvaged a point. Egypt's display was notably below-par, and thus got panned after the game, while Shehata summoned the courage to admit that his side failed to deliver the goods. "I know that our fans were expecting a better result against Zambia, but they have to be patient," he stated after the match. "Our supporters were really magnificent, and I would like to thank them all for their faithfulness. "We still have five games in hand. We haven't given up hope of qualifying for the World Cup."
Mido Shehata's statements were echoed by Mido, who stressed on the importance the support Egypt get from the stands. "Our fans were great today, but unfortunately we couldn't seal a win," the Egypt striker, who was introduced as a second-half substitute, said. On why the hosts couldn't win the game, the towering player commented: "We are all as a team responsible for the unsatisfying result, you can't blame it on individuals. "Now we need to pull ourselves together fast and get ready for the Algeria trip. We would compensate for the slipped-away two points should we win the upcoming match." Egypt, who haven't reached the gigantic competition since 1990, will face the Desert Foxes on June 7th.
