CAIRO: Egypt coach Hassan Shehata hopes his side would avoid being drawn along with fellow Arab teams in the World Cup qualifiers final phase.
Our matches against Arab oppositions are always tense, Shehata told Modern Sport following Egypt s thrashing 4-0 home win over Djibouti.
The Pharaohs reached the decisive round after finishing on top of Group 12 with 15 points.
North Africans Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria have also booked their place in the last phase.
Egypt usually findS it difficult to overcome the trio even if it is superior.
The six-time African champions haven t beaten Morocco since 1986 and last defeated Algeria in 2001.
Egypt s last victory over Tunisia was in the 2002 African Cup of Nations in Mali.
Shehata softened his stance against some Egyptian League stars who fell out of favor with him during the past few months.
Gamal Hamza and Mohamed Barakat failed to earn an Egypt call-up despite putting in some fine displays with Zamalek and Ahly respectively.
Dortmund forward Mohamed Zidan was also ignored by Shehata after skipping a World Cup qualifier against DR Congo in June.
But Shehata says every player has a chance to participate in Egypt s squad.
Egypt s door is open to any player who proves that he is good enough to play for the national team, he said.
