CAIRO: Hassan Shehata is hoping to see Egypt s newcomers seize the opportunity of representing the national team in South Africa, amid the absence of some key players.
The injuries of Amr Zaki and Emad Meteb, in addition to the exclusion of Ahmed “Mido Hossam, prompted the Egypt boss to name some inexperienced locals for the Confederations Cup.
Shehata is confident of his selection though, as he implied that the unfamiliar faces will have to rise to the challenge this summer.
The absence of Mido and Zaki is definitely a big chance for the young ones because otherwise it would be very unlikely that they would get another opportunity soon, he was quoted by FIFA.com.
We have a popular saying that goes the problem of one is the benefit to others and sometimes this is the way things happen.
The likes of Ahmed “Ouka Saied, Abdel-Aziz Tawfik, Ahmed Abdel-Ghani, Mohamed Mohsen Abou-Greisha and Ahmed Khairy are in line to appear for the first time at such a big event.
But Shehata opted not to single out specific names.
I cannot really say one single name. I don t differentiate between these new players and I have called them based on their performances in Egypt, he added.
I look at them with the exact same eyes. Once they are here in the national team, all of them will have to prove they belong. They are the ones deciding their future with the Pharaohs.
When asked specifically about Ouka and Abou-Greisha, Shehata reiterated that the duo s respective performances in the league earned them spots in his roster.
These two players are in a very similar situation, he said.
Both have picked up a lot of confidence in this year s Egyptian League mainly because they have both played extremely well against big clubs like Al Ahly and Zamalek.
If I thought they were not at the same level as the players they replace, then I wouldn t have called them and given them opportunities.
I know the strong and weak points they have and I hope to determine how best to use them.
Ouka had an ill-fated competitive debut in Egypt s 3-1 defeat to Algeria last week, while Abou-Geisha received a late call-up to replace Zaki.
Finally, Shehata is relishing the prospect of benefitting from Monday s clash with world heavyweights Brazil in the Group B opener.
It is a challenge, but what happens is that players react differently to this kind of situation, said the Zamalek legend.
That s why it s a test to all of them. Some may be able to build confidence out of playing against big teams, and will thus show that they can evolve step by step.
