Egypt’s right wing conundrum
Egypt’s football famine came to an end yesterday as flocks entered the Cairo International stadium. Thirteen years after they won the tournament on their home soil with a generation of players that is arguably the best the country had ever seen. Back to the present, another squad led by Mohamed Salah is hoping to reach the heights of previous generations as they entertained Zimbabwe in the opening game of the tournament.
Javier Aguirre, Egypt’s national team manager and previous Atletico Madrid manager started the game in the usual 4–2–3–1. As for Zimbabwe they fielded a quite flexible team morphing between 4–4–2 and its variants depending on the game phase. The aggressive positioning of Zimbabwe’s forwards in the offensive possession phase meant that their shaped transitioned into more of a 4–2–4. Trying to win the aerial duel against the Egyptian back-line, however they weren’t successful.
Empowered by a sell out crowd, Egypt applied pressure early on through their right side despite a couple of miss-passes. Egypt’s offensive game-plan mainly focused of combination plays between Ahmed El Mohamady, Abdallah El Said and Mohamed Salah with Tarek Hamed covering the space El Mohamady vacates to neutralize the tricky Khama Billiat in any transitions. Salah and El Mohamady occupied the right wing as El Said drifted from the center towards the right channel.
The first chance came in the 8th minute when Hamed pushed forward to occupy the right wing with El Mohamady as El Said was central and Salah freed by this movement deep in the right channel. An exquisite one-two with El Said bamboozled the Zimbabweans then Marwan Mohsen acted as the link play between Salah and El Said, but El Said’s shot was towards the middle of the goal which meant an easy save for Edmore Sibanda.
Minutes after, the trio of Salah, El Mohamady and El Said combined again in the same space. El Mohamady’s run towards the right channel occupied Zimbabwe’s left back Devine Lunga, while Salah dropped deep on the right wing to provide a passing option for ball progression. El Said who was central drifted a bit to the right channel to combine with Salah. A quick one-two intersected by an excellent dummy from El Mohamady meant that Lunga and Billiat were out of the game with a single combination play. Salah’s cross from the right wing eventually fell to El Said but his shot from the penalty spot went over the bar.
The last decent combination play from Egypt’s right side came in the 20th minute when the same trio occupied the three lanes. Salah in the center, El Said in the right channel, and El Mohamady on the right wing. Hamed played the ball to El Said who dropped from high in the right channel to a deeper position, then El Said passed it to Salah who was free in the center. All this while El Mohamady was making a third man run on the right wing. Unaware of the Egyptian defender, the Zimbabwean defence was exploited and Salah found him with a one touch pass. Unfortunately for the Egyptians, no one was there to meet El Mohamady’s brilliant cross across the goal.
Hamed who was arguably the best player on the pitch alongside Mahmoud Alaa had a tough job covering three lanes defensively as El Mohamady pushed forward. The Zamalek player performed his task excellently though. Once Egypt were in a defensive transition after losing the ball he neutralized the space on the right not giving Billiat or Ovidy Karuru any chance to wreck havoc on the counter. That is in addition to his other duties which he performed on the highest levels. Egypt’s system in the defensive phase however left Hamed in a dilemma.
Zimbabwe’s offensive possession phase consisted of two options, aerial balls as stated earlier and the overloading of the left side. Salah’s pace and goal scoring ability means that he’s an important asset for the Egyptian team on the counter attack, so he is completely freed of defensive duties. The cover up wasn’t well planned though.
Zimbabwe’s aggressive front line pinned Egypt’s back four as planned and the whole of their play was focused towards the left back Lunga. Completely free he pushed forward to start the attacks. El Mohamady had to face Lunga which meant Billiat was free between the Egyptian right back and his compatriot Alaa. Operating between them Billiat proved to be a good hub for link up play between Lunga and the forwards or the advanced midfielder .
Egypt’s defensive positioning left Hamed as a piggy in the middle between a Zimbabwean box consisting of Lunga, Billiat, Karuru, and Nakamba. El Said’s lack of movement to support Hamed didn’t help either. But once El Said dropped it triggered a movement by Marshall Munetsi to advance. In the 24th minute El Said dropped to the right wing to defend that space, Munetsi was free and combined twice with Karuru before the latter played Musona on the edge of the box. The captain’s shot was blocked by Alaa.
The aggressive positioning of El Mohamady during the Egyptian offensive phase nearly backfired four minutes before Trezeguet scored the opener. Lunga intercepted the ball from Salah and played a high ball towards Billiat leaving Hamed far from the winger. Zimbabwe’s offensive transition resulted eventually in a free kick which Musona took quickly playing Billiat behind El Mohamady but El Shenawy’s quickness of his line saved the Egyptians.
Trezeguet’s solo effort before half time gave Egypt the lead and with an unpromising second half they managed their first win. Walid Soliman’s introduction for Mohsen solved Egypt’s issues defensively on the right side but El Said’s disappearance after the 20th minute meant that the trio on the right side didn’t combine again. Salah had two chances in the second half after moving to a striker position, both fell on his right foot though which meant easier saves for Sibanda.
The aforementioned side of the field dictated game for both teams but ironically the only goal was scored from the other side. Zimbabwe’s reactive approach might have been due to them playing against the hosts in the first game of the tournament, but the team from down under has some individuals that showed potential. As for Aguirre and Egypt, the long balls towards Salah in the second part of the first half showed the homogeneity of their plans. On Wednesday and further beyond the Egyptians have to inject more variety in their plays for the hosts to go all the way.
