Egypt face Sierra Leone with an eye to Olympic Games

Egypt's Olympic side replaces the senior team in an African Cup of Nations qualifier away to Sierra Leone on Saturday at (16:30, GMT)

A new-look Egypt side take on Sierra Leone in the penultimate match of the African Cup of Nations qualifiers with the aim of preparing for another marathon in the build-up to next year's Olympic Games in London.
Egypt's senior team virtually lost hopes of defending their Nations Cup title in next year's edition in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon after some poor results left them at the bottom of Group B on two points with just two matches remaining.
The disastrous results, which will deprive the seven-time African champions of making an appearance in the biennial tournament for the first time in decades, have also sealed the fate of coach Hassan Shehata.
No replacement has been made yet, paving the way for the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) to task the Olympic team, who are led by former Egypt defender HanyRamzy, to play the remaining two matches of the qualifiers against Sierra Leone and Niger.
Ramzy would not have found a better chance to prepare his U-23 side for the group phase of the 2012 London Games qualifiers as Egypt aim to end a 20-year drought, having made their last appearance at the 1992 Games in Barcelona.
“We are optimistic that we can beat Sierra Leone,” Ramzy, who was a member of Egypt's 1990 World Cup squad, told Reuters Arabic.
“A victory in that match is important. This rising generation is looking to prove itself, and a win against Sierra Leone will boost the players' morale.
“We are also considering the match a vital part of our preparations for the final stage of the Olympic Games qualifiers,” added Ramzy, who spent most of his playing career in Germany.
Egypt skipper and Zamalek's newly-signed midfielder Ahmed Hassan was the only senior team player to be named in the Pharaohs' squad for the Sierra Leone match.
Hassan, who was Ramzy's Egypt teammate in the late 1990s and early 2000s, has 175 international caps, just three short of the record held by former Saudi Arabia keeper Mohamed Al-Deayea.
Sierra Leone lie third in the group with five points, one behind Niger and three adrift of leaders South Africa.
“Egypt might look young but they are very much deadly,” striker TetehBangura, who plays for Turkish side Bursaspor, was quoted as saying by Sierra Express Media.
“They are in a build up process and so we should not be carried away of words that they are a young side.
“For the visitors, they are coming here either for a win or a draw, but it has to be a win for us on Saturday as this will boost our chances of making it to the Nations Cup next year.”