Egypt and Argentina top African friendly bill

JOHANNESBURG – African champions Egypt host mighty Argentina tonight in the pick of a friendly programme designed to prepare teams for 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

Other high-profile fixtures involve the losing 2008 African Nations Cup semi-finalists with Ghana playing Mexico in England and Ivory Coast facing Tunisia in France. Morocco, a major disappointment at the biennial African football showcase in Ghana, are away to Belgium while another fixture in France involves two fallen giants, Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.Benin, whose second appearance at the Nations Cup this year brought only three more defeats, have combined a training camp in Germany with a match against local club Eintracht Frankfurt.While Europe-based fixtures have become increasingly popular with so many African stars playing there, there are also a number of friendlies around Africa as countries take advantage of an official “international” week.Tanzania and Mozambique play in Dar es Salaam, Uganda and Libya in Kampala, Sudan and Liberia in Omdurman, Botswana and Zimbabwe in Gaborone, Namibia and Malawi in Windhoek and South Africa and Paraguay in Pretoria.Egyptian Hassan Shehata, one of only two coaches to win successive Nations Cup titles, has kept faith with the 23-man squad that conquered Africa for a record sixth time last month by defeating Cameroon 1-0 in the final.This means ace goalkeeper Essam al-Hadary keeps his place after an attempt to quit Al-Ahly and join Swiss side Sion backfired and his punishment includes training with the Cairo club youth squad.Argentina will lack injured Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, but have paid the ‘Pharaohs’ a compliment of choosing a powerful squad including Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, sent off against Manchester United last Sunday.John Mensah from French club Rennes gets another chance to justify the claim of Ghana coach Claude le Roy that he is among the best central defenders in the world when the ‘Black Stars’ play Mexico at the Craven Cottage home of Fulham.Michael Essien of Chelsea, Sulley Muntari of Portsmouth and Laryea Kingston of Hearts form a powerful midfield while striker Eric Bekoe from local club Asante Kotoko could get a chance to solve the lack of attacking fire power.Former Germany defender Uli Stielike temporarily returns as coach of Didier Drogba-inspired Ivory Coast after missing the Nations Cup to nurse his dying son in Hamburg.Opponents Tunisia will lose long-serving French coach Roger Lemerre in mid-year as his contract was not renewed following a second successive quarter-finals exit from the Nations Cup.Lemerre has included eight players from African Champions League title holders Etoile Sahel plus defenders Sabeur Ben Frej and Seif Ghezal, who quit the ‘Red Devils’ after securing contracts in Europe following the Nations Cup.Algeria coach Rabah Saadane has called up two France-born players, defender Fethi Harek and midfielder Brahim Hemdani, to face DR Congo, who may include Newcastle United teenage midfielder Kazenga LuaLua.The second phase of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the African Nations Cup in Angola kick off on May 30 with 48 countries chasing 20 third round slots.Nampa-AFPMorocco, a major disappointment at the biennial African football showcase in Ghana, are away to Belgium while another fixture in France involves two fallen giants, Algeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.Benin, whose second appearance at the Nations Cup this year brought only three more defeats, have combined a training camp in Germany with a match against local club Eintracht Frankfurt.While Europe-based fixtures have become increasingly popular with so many African stars playing there, there are also a number of friendlies around Africa as countries take advantage of an official “international” week.Tanzania and Mozambique play in Dar es Salaam, Uganda and Libya in Kampala, Sudan and Liberia in Omdurman, Botswana and Zimbabwe in Gaborone, Namibia and Malawi in Windhoek and South Africa and Paraguay in Pretoria.Egyptian Hassan Shehata, one of only two coaches to win successive Nations Cup titles, has kept faith with the 23-man squad that conquered Africa for a record sixth time last month by defeating Cameroon 1-0 in the final.This means ace goalkeeper Essam al-Hadary keeps his place after an attempt to quit Al-Ahly and join Swiss side Sion backfired and his punishment includes training with the Cairo club youth squad.Argentina will lack injured Barcelona striker Lionel Messi, but have paid the ‘Pharaohs’ a compliment of choosing a powerful squad including Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, sent off against Manchester United last Sunday.John Mensah from French club Rennes gets another chance to justify the claim of Ghana coach Claude le Roy that he is among the best central defenders in the world when the ‘Black Stars’ play Mexico at the Craven Cottage home of Fulham.Michael Essien of Chelsea, Sulley Muntari of Portsmouth and Laryea Kingston of Hearts form a powerful midfield while striker Eric Bekoe from local club Asante Kotoko could get a chance to solve the lack of attacking fire power.Former Germany defender Uli Stielike temporarily returns as coach of Didier Drogba-inspired Ivory Coast after missing the Nations Cup to nurse his dying son in Hamburg.Opponents Tunisia will lose long-serving French coach Roger Lemerre in mid-year as his contract was not renewed following a second successive quarter-finals exit from the Nations Cup.Lemerre has included eight players from African Champions League title holders Etoile Sahel plus defenders Sabeur Ben Frej and Seif Ghezal, who quit the ‘Red Devils’ after securing contracts in Europe following the Nations Cup.Algeria coach Rabah Saadane has called up two France-born players, defender Fethi Harek and midfielder Brahim Hemdani, to face DR Congo, who may include Newcastle United teenage midfielder Kazenga LuaLua.The second phase of qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the African Nations Cup in Angola kick off on May 30 with 48 countries chasing 20 third round slots.Nampa-AFP