Veteran defender Abdul-Zaher Al-Saqqa said he did not expect to be part of Egypt's squad for the African Cup of Nations. Al-Saqqa, who plays for Turkish side Eskisehirspor, returned to the national team fold in Egypt's decisive World Cup qualifiers against Algeria after an absence of more than three years. He was also picked in the Pharaohs' roster for the Nations Cup in Angola, where he won his third continental title, having been part of the 1998 and 2006 winning squads. "I thought my international career was over after winning the 2006 Nations Cup," Al-Saqqa told FilGoal.com on Thursday. "I never expected that I will be called up to play in this year's tournament." The 36-year-old played once in the biennial tournament - in Egypt's 2-0 victory over Benin in the group stage. Egypt coach Hassan Shehata had to do without central defender Mahmoud Fathallah in the final 1-0 victory over Ghana but opted against fielding Al-Saqqa as a replacement. Al-Saqqa, who came through the youth ranks of Mansoura, said he would return to the Egyptian Premier League next season after spending 11 years in Turkey.
