CAIRO: Egypt assistant coach Shawki Gharib said that the Pharaohs chances of booking a place in the World Cup are contingent on the imminent game between group rivals Zambia and Algeria.
The six-time African champions slumped to a 3-1 loss to Algeria in Blida, and now they are in an unenviable position in the qualifying stage.
Gharib also emphasized on the importance of Egypt s next game against Rwanda, saying that recording a victory is essential to keep their hopes alive.
We need to beat Rwanda, but our qualification prospects also depend on Zambia s qualifier with Algeria, he told Algerian paper Al-Khabar.
Egypt now lie bottom in Group C with a single point, one goal behind third-placed Rwanda.
Zambia and Algeria are joint leaders on four points, and they will clash with each other on june 20th.
Gharib reckons that Egypt s embarrassing loss in Algeria should be a reason for Hassan Shehata s men to pay more attention to the FIFA Confederations Cup, which gets kicks off on June 14.
Putting in a good display in the Confederations Cup is now a matter of the utmost importance, he added. We need to make up for our defeat (to Algeria).
Egypt lie in the Confederations Cup Group B alongside Brazil, Italy and USA, and many pundits believe they don t have much of a chance to impress.
Egypt s first match in the gigantic competition will be against five-time World Champions Brazil next Monday.
