|
|
register now
for site updates
(type your email here)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
UPDATE (11:00 AM MONDAY, JULY 9): YOUTH TEAM THIRD IN WORLD, MILITARY FIRST
The under-20 national soccer team came away from its match with Paraguay on Sunday as the third best team in the world of youth soccer. The teams were playing for the bronze in the under-20 World Cup which just concluded in Argentina. Argentina won the tournament, soundly defeating Ghana 3-0. Meanwhile, Egypt's 1-0 triumph over Paraguay means the boys will be coming home to a hero's welcome.
Meanwhile, the World Military Soccer championships, which were taking place in Cairo, ended on Friday night with the hometown team -- Egypt -- first in the world. This is the third time Egypt has won the championship, meaning the cup will stay in Cairo permanently. The relatively easy 3-0 victory over Greece was followed closely by millions of fans on TV, and by President Hosni Mubarak personally at the Military College in Heliopolis, where the final contest took place.
UPDATE (11:30 PM WEDNESDAY, JULY 4): EGYPT LOSES 2-0 TO GHANA
With the first goal scored 83 minutes into the game, it was certainly a tough contest for both Egypt and Ghana -- seven minutes and another goal later, Ghana would be the team heading to the finals of the Under-20 World Cup. The 2-0 loss dashes hopes of an Egyptian title.
Earlier story: The build-up to the match
(July 4, 2001, cairolive.com)
If the big boys aren't raising the country's name high, Egypt's under 20 soccer team is taking the youth World Cup by storm. The tournament, currently being played in Argentina, is winding down as the two semi-final matches are played tonight at 8pm and 10 pm Cairo time respectively.
The first match pits Egypt and Ghana, while the second features Argentina and Paraguay, ensuring an Africa versus South America final no matter which teams win tonight.
The Egyptian team made its way to the semis after a roller-coaster ride of a tournament, which included a devastating 7-1 first round loss to Argentina, followed by major victories over the United States and the Netherlands.
Ghana, meanwhile, is coming off of an exhilarating victory over Brazil. The team also beat the Egyptian youth in an African tournament 3 months ago.
Tonight the nation sits anxiously waiting to see how the younger kickers do. The under-20s are taking on powerful symbolic power, especially after the regular national team lost to Morocco on Saturday night, making its advancing to the 2002 World Cup a convoluted equation which mainly depends on how other teams in its group do. The next game in that set of qualifiers is Egypt versus Namibia on July 13.
But while dozens of journalists, and members of parliament traveled to Morocco last weekend to watch that disappointing game, how many Egyptians have made their way to Argentina to cheer on this national team?
The youth and adult teams are being constantly compared by the public and the press. Even the TV announcer -- during the last few minutes of the Morocco game when it was all but over for the Egyptian team -- made it clear that it was the youth who were making Egypt proud.
In other soccer news, at the World Military tournament currently taking place in Cairo, the Egyptian team has also advanced to the finals, after defeating Guinea 2-0, and is set to play Greece on Friday.
Stay tuned to cairolive.com later on tonight to be the first to see the results of tonight's Egypt-Ghana showdown in the under 20 youth World Cup in Argentina...
Did you like this article? Send your comments to comments@cairolive.com
Go to the front page pics and dispatches archives
|
|
|
