CAIRO: Zamalek midfielder Rahim Ayew has been named in Ghana s squad for the final World Cup qualifier with Mali on Nov. 15. Ghana boss Milovan Rajevac, who already guided the team to South Africa 2010, has also called up a number of uncapped players for the home tie. Ayew, the son of Ghana s …

CAIRO: Algeria coach Rabah Saadane has named 24 players for the decisive World Cup qualifier in Egypt on Nov. 14. The Desert Foxes selection witnessed no significant surprises, even though ES Setif defender Abdel-Kader Laifaoui received a rare call-up. The list includes 16 foreign-based players, with only eight members of Saadane s team plying their …

CAIRO: Zamalek striker Ahmed “Mido Hossam says he fully respects Egypt coach Hassan Shehata s decision to leave him out of the squad facing Algeria on Nov. 14. The 26-year-old, who hasn’t featured for his country since March, vehemently denied that he was unhappy to be overlooked once again. It makes sense that I wasn’t …

ISMAILIA: Ismaili goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi rejected a new contract from the Dervishes as he opted to consider options available in the winter break. Ismaili said on their official site that a meeting between manager Emad Soliman and director Ihab Galal with Sobhi turned unsuccessful despite the lucrative offer. Sobhi s current contract with Ismaili runs …

CAIRO: Gouna manager Ismail Youssef indicated that Ahly s prospected offer for goalkeeper Sherif Ekrami will be seriously considered. Ekrami was poised to re-join Ahly after ending a dull spell with Holland s Feyenoord, but the offer from the Cairo club was unacceptable for him. While Ahly are looking for a new keeper in the …

CAIRO: Zamalek striker Sayed Mosaad should resume full training in one week after being subjected to stab wounds in his home city Ismailia on Sunday. Mosaad was released from hospital on Monday after incurring stitches in his stomach and shoulder. Zamalek s official site stated that the 22-year-old s condition is stable and that he …

CAIRO: ENPPI allayed their African woes with a convincing 2-1 home victory over Harras Hodoud in the Egyptian Premier League on Thursday. Diaa Al-Sayed s team exited the African Confederation Cup on Monday after a 6-4 aggregate defeat to Stade Malien in the semi final to miss out on the chance of becoming the first …

PORT SAID: Masri have beefed up their frontline with Stade Malien strike partners Bakary “Bako Coulibaly and Osman Bagayoko, the Port-Said club said. Masri chairman Kamel Abou-Ali announced at a press conference that the Malians have both penned three-and-a-half-year contracts and should join the club by January 2010. Bako and Bagayoko scored 10 goals between …

CAIRO: Ahmed “Mido Hossam hopes his maiden goal for Zamalek will enhance his chances of returning to Egypt s fold. The 26-year-old scored his first goal in the white shirt in Tuesday s 1-1 home draw with the newcomers, courtesy of a fine second-half volley. I am really hoping to be recalled by Egypt and …

CAIRO: Egypt had to pull out of next month s friendly with Germany as they face Tanzania on Nov. 5. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) reached an agreement with its German counterpart to cancel the game due to the African champions World Cup qualifying commitments. Given these circumstances, there simply were too many uncertainties involved …

CAIRO: Ahly striker Mohamed Fadl has allayed fears of his collapse after Monday s 2-1 victory at Mansoura. The 29-year-old came on as a second-half substitute before falling unconscious as the referee blew the final whistle, following a bizarre collision with teammate Ahmed Fathi. When we were celebrating (Mohamed) Abou-Trika s goal, Fathi hit my …

CAIRO: Ahly striker Mohamed Fadl passed out all of a sudden after his team s 2-1 victory at Mansoura in the Egyptian Premier League. The 29-year-old collided with his teammate Ahmed Fathi after the break while celebrating the Red Devils second goal, but didn t seem to be hurt at the time. However, he blacked …

CAIRO: Ahly under-fire goalkeeper Amir Abdel-Hamid is ready to accept any action against him, following his recent spat with manager Hossam Al-Badri. The outcast keeper engaged in an angry conversation with Al-Badri after being dropped from the team s squad facing Mansoura. Consequently, Ahly decided to fine Abdel-Hamid and suspend him until further notice. I …

CAIRO: Egypt U-20 coach Miroslav Soukup revealed that the Young Pharaohs lacked team spirit because many players were only seeking personal glory. Egypt succumbed to an embarrassing exit from the World Cup round of 16, losing 2-0 at home to the unfashionable Costa Rica. With heavy criticism directed towards Soukup, the Czech manager defended his …

CAIRO: Ahly youngster Mostafa “Afroto Mahmoud is looking forward to establishing his first team place with the Red Devils, following Egypt s embarrassing exit from the U-20 World Cup. The midfield wizard raised eyebrows with his dazzling skills at the World Cup, despite Egypt s poor campaign on home soil. Afroto, who particularly appeared to …

CAIRO: Egyptian Football Association (EFA) chairman Samir Zaher vehemently denied that Egypt played a part in influencing referee Yakhouba Keita in Algeria s 3-1 win over Rwanda. A minority of Algerian media reports spread a rumor that Keita s poor performance was influenced by external sources. It is a ridiculous rumor. How can a biased …

CAIRO: Asyut Petroleum captain Sami Abou-Zeid has died in a car accident on Monday, manager Gamal Mohamed Ali confirmed. Abou-Zeid was on his way to the team s training in Asyut, accompanied by chief medic Khaled Anwar, Ali told FilGoal.com. Anwar survived the crash with a few knocks. Abou-Zeid, 30, played for Asyut Cement, before …

CAIRO: Borussia Dortmund forward Mohamed Zidan is sad not to be part of the Egypt setup, but feels he made the right decision skipping last month s friendly with Guinea. Zidan s decision not to answer the Egypt call-up sparked intense speculation over his loyalty to the national team, which eventually saw him ruled out …

CAIRO: Egypt coach Hassan Shehata believes that Mohamed Abou-Trika should be able to play against Zambia, stressing that the Ahly star s injury is minor. Abou-Trika was forced out of Wednesday s training session in Chililabombwe complaining of a hamstring injury, but Shehata allayed fears over the 31-year-old s fitness. It is a minor hamstring …

CAIRO: Ahly winger Mohamed Barakat is willing to see out the remainder of his career with the Cairo club. Despite the fact that both parties failed to agree terms of a contract extension for the 32-year-old, Barakat refuted claims of an imminent exit. I met with club officials recently, but unfortunately I didn’t feel that …

CAIRO: ENPPI coach Diaa Al-Sayed believes his side can make it to the CAF Confederation Cup final, despite a disappointing semi-final 2-2 draw with Stade Malien. Al-Sayed s men spurned a host of chances on Saturday to draw with the Malian side, who will host the return leg two weeks later. We wasted an easy …

CAIRO: Henri Michel knows that he is facing a difficult task with Zamalek, but stressed that he is fully backed to lift the stumbling Cairo club. Michel took over from Swiss coach Michel Decastel recently, but the White Knights lost two games out of three under the Frenchman s management. Speaking to France Football magazine, …

ISMAILA: Ismaili chairman Nasr Aboul-Hassan said that the impressive victory over Zamalek proves that the decision to appoint Emad Soliman as coach was on spot. Interim boss Soliman, who took over from Nebojsa Vuckovic last month, bagged his third straight victory with the Dervishes on Tuesday, beating Zamalek 1-0 in Cairo. Our choice to Emad …

CAIRO: Mainz GM Christian Heidel admitted that Gamal Hamza is taking a long time to settle in with the Bundesliga club. Hamza s progress with the team is so slow. We have paid ?25,000 for his services, Heidel was quoted as saying by Bild. Hamza has yet to play a league game in Mainz s …

CAIRO: Zamalek defender Mahmoud Fathallah will resume full training by mid-October, according to chief medic Mostafa Al-Monayeri. The Egypt defender dislocated his shoulder ahead of the recent World Cup qualifier in Rwanda and has been ruled out ever since. Fathallah should train with his teammates by mid-October. He will train alone until he fully recovers …

CAIRO: Petrojet came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Military Production in the fifth round of the Egyptian Premier League on Thursday. Newcomers Production took a first-half lead through a brace from Ivorian striker Abou Kone. But Petrojet turned over their two-goal deficit, thanks to a strike from Burkinabe midfielder Mohamed Koffi …

CAIRO: Substitute Mikael Dodzi scored the only goal as Gaish pulled off a 1-0 victory over Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League on Thursday. A wonderful counter-attack move gave the military side their fourth win in three years over Zamalek, marking Henri Michel s first defeat with the White Knights. Gaish jumped to fifth place …

CAIRO: Masri will be hoping to enhance their poor league under new coach Anwar Salama by getting a positive result against the unbeaten Ahly in Port Said. Salama, a former Ahly player and coach, will face the champions in his first game in charge of Masri after taking over from Hungarian Bertalan Bicskei. The game …

CAIRO: Ahly defender Sherif Abdel-Fadil is set return to the Egypt squad, according to the Cairo giants official site. Ahly said that Egypt assistant coach Shawki Gharib has exclusively assured their website that “Abdel-Fadil will be included in the national team s provisional squad ahead of the qualifier in Zambia. During his Ismaili days, Abdel-Fadil …

CAIRO: Nassr are willing to sell Egyptian midfielder Hossam Ghaly in the winter break, according to different reports in Saudi Arabia. Several newspapers claimed that Nassr boss Jorge da Silva is no longer interested in keeping Ghaly among the team s ranks. It is believed that “overweight is the main reason behind the dissatisfaction from …