Abd-Rabou fit for Algeria clash - brother

الجمعة، 13 نوفمبر 2009 - 23:17

كتب : Hatem Maher

Hosni Abd-Rabou has shaken off an ankle injury in time for Egypt's crucial World Cup qualifier against Algeria on Saturday, the player's brother said on Friday.

"I visited Egypt's training camp today and Abd-Rabou assured me that he is fully fit," Tarek Abd-Rabou told FilGoal.com.

An Egyptian FA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said earlier this week that the Ahli Dubai midfielder, who injured his ankle in a UAE league game, was highly unlikely to feature in the anticipated encounter.

Mohamed Hommos, who scored the winner over world champions Italy in the Confederations Cup, was expected to replace him in the heart of the Pharaohs' midfield.

"My brother came through today's training session unscathed. The decision whether to field him against Algeria lies in the hands of coach Hassan Shehata," Tarek added.

Abd-Rabou, who was voted the best player in Egypt's triumphant African Cup of Nations campaign in 2008, is an influential member of the team's roster.

He scored the winner in the 1-0 victory at Zambia which kept alive Egypt's hopes of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1990.

The six-time African champions need to beat Algeria by a three-goal margin at Cairo Stadium to qualify directly for the football's most prestigious event.

A win by a two-goal margin will set up a playoff meeting with the Desert Foxes in Sudan on Wednesday.

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