Mohamed Abou-Treika vowed to do his best to play in the 2014 World Cup before announcing his retirement. The Ahli playmaker missed out on fulfilling a long-held dream when Egypt, who last qualified for the World Cup in 1990, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Algeria in a one-off playoff game last month. Reports suggested that he would not be able to carry on until the Pharaohs bid for a third appearance at the football's most prestigious event in the 2014 tournament in Brazil. The 31-year-old insists he is more determined than ever to experience World Cup football before hanging up his boots. "I would have probably retired from international football if Egypt had reached next year's World Cup finals," Abou-Treika said in an interview with Egyptian daily Al-Ahram. "But now, I will do whatever it takes to play in the 2014 tournament. This is a dream I'm eager to realize."
Ageing players? Other veteran players like Ahmed Hassan, Essam Al-Hadari and Wael Goma - who all played a pivotal role in helping Egypt claim back-to-back Nations Cup titles in 2006 and 2008 - are not certain to remain at the team's disposal in the next qualifiers. Local media demanded coach Hassan Shehata to inject fresh blood into the six-time African champions. "Players should be not be judged on their age as long as they perform well," Abou-Treika added. "(His Ahli teammate) Hassan, for instance, is playing as if he is still in his 20s. The same applies to (central defender) Gomaa." Abou-Treika is nursing a foot injury that has ruled him out of next month's Nations Cup finals in Angola. The tournament runs from January 10-31. Petrojet's Walid Soliman and Zamalek's Shikabala are likely to compete for a place in Egypt's starting line-up instead of Abou-Treika.
