ACCRA (AFP) - Egypt, who have defied predictions and
proved themselves worthy defending African Nations Cup champions,
are confident of retaining the title against Cameroon on
Sunday.
The 2008 finalists clashed in their opening group game where Egypt
meted out a 4-2 win to Otto Pfister's mentally tough Cameroon, and
the men from the Nile see no reason why that result won't be
repeated at Accra's Ohene Djan stadium.
"We are champions of Africa until Sunday and we hope we will be
still after the final," said Egypt coach Hassan Shehata whose team
could win the title for a record sixth time.
"Cameroon are a big team, but we've already beaten them in this
tournament and that is a good sign for us to produce a good result
on Sunday.
"All my players are motivated, they want to keep the title to prove
that we are truly the champions of Africa."
Cameroon too are taking positives out of that initial loss to the
five-time titleholders, but for obviously differing reasons.
"We started slowly and no one expected us to make it this far.
Losing to Egypt helped spur us on to the final," said midfielder
Stephane Mbia, who scored the extra-time winner in Cameroon's 3-2
quarter-final success over Tunisia.
Pfister, who led Ghana to the 1992 finals, added: "We've progressed
match by match. Perhaps we started badly but we always know how to
react."
A win for Egypt will see Shehata join a a rare club of coaches that
have won back to back titles.
This is not the final that most pundits had predicted, with Ghana
and Ivory Coast seen as the most likely to scrap it out for the
right to be called the kings of Africa.
But the Ivorians were taken apart by Egypt in Thursday's semi-final
in Kumasi 4-1 while Cameroon put paid to hosts Ghana 1-0 in Accra
to set up a rematch from the 1986 final in Cairo won by the
Pharoahs on penalties.
While Shehata has the luxury of a fit squad to choose from Cameroon
are sweating it out to see if midfielder Alexandre Song recovers
after picking up a knock and being stretchered off at the end of
the hard fought win over Ghana.
"The doctors reckon it's not serious. It's not a ligament problem,"
said the player's cousin and Cameroon captain Rigobert Song.
Cameroon are also missing Andre Bikey, the Reading defender who was
sent off in the 90th minute in the semi-final for shoving a medical
official tending a stricken teammate.
Pfister had pledged before that game that his team would "paralyse"
Ghana tactically and it worked a treat as Cameroon soaked up Ghana
pressure before delivering the sucker punch on a counter
attack.
Egypt though represent an altogether tricker problem as Shehata's
side have looked equally polished in defence and attack, with
keeper Essam El Harady in particular in superb form.
The Egyptians are aiming to add to their record five title haul
after capturing the continental trophy in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998
and 2006.
Cameroon are four time winners, the Indomitable Lions coming up
trumps in 1984, 1988, 2000 and 2002.
At the start of the competition one of Accra's most popular hotels
hung the flags from each of the 16 nations competing outside its
main entrance.
A hotel porter has had the job of removing them as teams have
fallen by the wayside, leaving just Egypt and Cameroon flying
proudly in the breeze.
By Sunday night only one will remain with the clever money pointing
to the red, white and black of the defending champions rather than
the green, red and yellow of Cameroon.