KUMASI: Until Wednesday evening, striker Mohamed Zidan did not know whether he had recovered in time for Egypt’s 2008 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Ivory Coast tonight.
“I don’t know yet (whether I’m fit), said Zidan, who has scored twice as the five-time champions reached the last four of this tournament.
The Hamburg SV star picked up an ankle injury during the team’s warm-up before the quarter-final against Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium in Kumasi on Monday.
“We still have some time to look at him before the match, said a team official.
Zidan was the driving force when Egypt ran over Cameroon 4-2 in an opening Group C match. However, both the player and the team have struggled to impress ever since, particularly against the likes of Zambia and Angola.
Rumors circulated in local media about his injury, some suggesting that the young player doesn’t want to participate in the Angola game with the national team. Zidan refuted such claims after Egypt’s 2-1 win over Angola last Monday. And although he said he wanted to play – but was prevented by the injury – he was cautious yesterday about confirming his participation in the Ivory Coast game.
Egypt assistant coach Shawki Gharib said the team hope Zidan will be available for selection in the semi-final tie against the Ivorians on Thursday. The Pharaohs will have their last training session before the match later Wednesday. – AFP with additional reporting by Daily News Egypt.
