CAIRO: Mido said on Thursday he is likely to attend Egypt s friendly game against England at Wembley as a spectator rather than a player. The African champions meet England on March 3 in their first game after clinching an unprecedented third consecutive Nations Cup title in Angola last month. Striker Mido, who left Zamalek to join West Ham on loan in the January transfer window, was surprisingly left out of Egypt s squad for the biennial tournament despite being included in the provisional roster. It is highly unlikely that coach Hassan Shehata will call him up for the England game, Mido believes. It will be very difficult after what happened before the Nations Cup, the towering frontman told Al-Hayat TV on Thursday. Everybody knows that my omission was not down to any technical reasons. The technical staff did not respect me. I don t think that I will have the chance to play against England. But anyway, I will be in the stands to support my national team. I will never abandon the Egyptian national team, I will be available whenever needed. Shehata was heavily criticized for picking Mohamed Nagi Gedo instead of Mido but the Ittihad forward justified his coach s decision by producing some impressive displays off the bench. He scored five goals to finish as the top scorer, despite not starting any game, and lead Egypt to a record-extending seventh Nations Cup triumph. Gedo is a very good person who deserves the best, but who said that I would not have played well if I was called up? Mido said. Unlikely Return The Middlesbrough-bound man said he wishes to remain at West Ham, the club he joined on loan until the end of the season. He made a good first impression on his debut against Burnley last week, hitting the post late in the game. West Ham coach Gianfranco Zola then rewarded him with a starting berth in Wednesday s 2-0 home victory over Birmingham City. West Ham are a big club, I want to remain with them. I m very optimistic with regard to the future, Mido added. Officially, I should return to Middlesbrough at the end of the season but I don t think I will be with them next season. They are highly unlikely to gain promotion to the Premier League. The 26-year-old also played for Middlesbrough, Tottenham Hotspur and Wigan Athletic in England during his nomadic career. He accepted a weekly salary of £1,000 to have another spell in the elite competition, this time with West Ham. I m satisfied with that decision, it was a timely one. I ve already made a name for myself in England but I wish to hit top form again and help my new club.
