The Ahli striker has recently recovered from a serious knee injury and was given a chance to regain top form, playing 90 minutes against Tanzania in Aswan in a warm up for next week's crucial World Cup qualifier at home to Algeria.

Amr Zaki, Mohamed Barakat and Ahmed Raouf were also on the scoresheet as Egypt brushed aside the Taifa Stars, who notched a consolation through Kigi Makasi.

The Pharaohs, who missed their foreign-based players against Tanzania, need to beat Algeria by a three-goal margin at Cairo Stadium on November 14 to qualify directly for the World Cup.

A win by a two-goal margin will set up a playoff meeting with the Desert Foxes on a neutral venue.

Meteb Show

Egypt, who played with a 4-4-2 formation, laid siege to Tanzania's area from the very beginning, with full-backs Sayed Moawad and Ahmed Al-Muhammadi wreaking havoc down the flanks.

They needed eight minutes to open the scoring when the lively Moawad raced onto a through pass from Mohamed Hommos, skipped past a challenger on the left before whipping in a neat cross for Meteb to head home.

Zaki, who partnered Meteb upfront as Borussia Dortmund's Mohamed Zidan is yet to link up with his teammates, doubled the hosts' advantage 11 minutes later with a right-foot shot that took a deflection and looped into the net from the edge of the area.

Meteb put the result beyond doubt on 33 minutes when he fired into the roof of the net from inside the area after a pull-back from Al-Muhammadi.

Barakat, who failed to impress in Ahli's recent Egyptian league games but managed to bamboozle Tanzania defense with his energetic moves on the wings, added the fourth four minutes before the break.

Meteb was the architect behind the goal as his lay off found Barakat on the edge of the area to drill a low shot into the bottom corner.

A rare surge forward saw Tanzania score a consolation just before the halftime whistle when Egypt keeper Essam Al-Hadari let a long-range shot from Makasi squirm beneath him.

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata made several changes in the second half, introducing classy playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, Harras Hodoud forward Ahmed Eid and ENPPI striker Raouf.

Abou-Treika and Zaki wasted two decent efforts before Raouf completed the rout with four minutes remaining via a close-range shot.