The attacking approach Egyptian teams prefer to adopt this season is beneficial for the national team, coach Hassan Shehata said on Sunday. Defending champions Ahli are finding it difficult to replicate the form of the past six seasons, during which they dismantled their so-called competitors far too easily to win the Egyptian Premier League title unopposed. The race looks tight this term, however, with the usual gulf in class between the likes of Ahli, Zamalek and Ismaili and the rest of the teams nowhere to be seen. "I like the league this season because all the teams, including the top and bottom ones, adopt an attacking approach," highly-successful coach Hassan Shehata said on the Egyptian FA's official website. "Every team is eager to win this season. This is an advantage which will benefit the national team." Cairo giants Zamalek, who last won the title in 2004, top the table with 27 points after 12 matches. Military Production, Petrojet, Ahli, Ismaili, ENPPI and Police Union are currently battling it out to move second behind Zamalek. The biggest gap between any two of them is five points.
Geddo, Hassan nominated for African-based player award Financially backed by large companies, several Premier League clubs became capable of matching Ahli and Zamalek especially after succeeding in keeping hold of their prized assets. Egypt's squad for last month's friendly against Australia included three players from ENPPI, two from Police Union, two from Harras Hodoud and one from promoted MCDR. Egyptian Achievement Shehata was included in CAF's three-man shortlist for the 2010 best coach award along with Mazembe's Lamine N'Diaye and Milovan Rajevac of Ghana. Egypt are also in contention to win the best national team award while Ahli's Geddo is battling with club teammate Ahmed Hassan and Mazembe's Alain Dioko to be named the best African-based player. "Those nominations are achievements for the Egyptian football," Shehata, who led the Pharaohs to three consecutive African Cup of Nations title in 2006, 2008 and 2010, commented. "They also burden us with the responsibility of maintaining the huge success of the national team."
