England coach Fabio Capello said he respected the way Egypt performed during Wednesday's friendly game at Wembley despite the Pharaohs' 3-1 defeat. Egypt went to the locker room with a 1-0 lead, thanks to a goal from lively striker Mohamed Zidan. They could not hold onto their advantage in the second half, with England roaring back in superb fashion after the introduction of towering striker Peter Crouch and winger Shaun Wright-Philips. Two goals from Crouch and one from Wright-Philips, who was a constant menace down the right flank, gave England a convincing victory. "I have a lot of respect for the Egyptians," Italian tactician Capello told Nile Sport after the game. "We had lots of chances to score, but Egypt also had some chances. It was a very good game." Capello paid tribute to Tottenham frontman Crouch, who is likely to be his second-choice striker in the summer's World Cup behind the in-form Wayne Rooney. The 29-year-old scored 20 goals in 37 appearances with one-time world champions England. "We notably improved when Crouch came on in the second half," Capello added.
