Egypt manager Héctor Cúper spoke about his players’ selection for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, adding that he is going to Gabon for the title.
The Argentine manager has called up 27 players for camp ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, and gave surprise call-ups to Mohamed Ibrahim, Ahmed Gomaa, Mohamed Awad, and Hamada Tolba.
“I was hoping to add the biggest number of players. However I’m only entitled to 23, which was why I couldn’t add more of the unique talents,” Cúper said in his press conference on Saturday.
“We work with transparency, but it’s impossible for people to agree on one thing. Though it’s difficult to satisfy everyone, we try to be fair in every situation. We need the support of the media.
“The Egyptian national team is the most important of all. I don’t think I am more important despite of my position. The team is more important than me and the most important for all of us.
“I believe we don’t rely solely on Mohamed Salah. We use him, a player with such potentials must be exploited. Nevertheless, this isn’t Salah’s team.
“There are a lot of great players along with Salah. We use his speed in some games of course, but alone he won’t press up or intercept. It’s natural for FC Barcelona to use Messi’s talents. Nevertheless, there other players with Messi, who do the same and this isn’t always obvious to the fans.
“Fans meet me in the street telling me that the team played badly. I asked myself what bad performance? I play realistically and my head is always thinking about the players’ potentials. I am going to Gabon for the title, although the fans doubt this.
“I always ask each player to do his best. I am going to Gabon for the title and there is nothing called winning the tournament isn’t important. I know that fans enjoy winning.
“I love winning every game, even friendlies because it’s always our responsibility and the pressure, that we could never avoid, is on us. We deal with stress and pressure to make our fans happy.
“Hamada Tolba is one of the most essential players in our team. He is a unique defender and he can compensate in case of any injuries. He is a joker and this is why I decided to add him.
“I have received many offers, but I am staying in my post until the EFA decide else,” Cuper concluded.
Source: Ghana/Starrfmonline.com/103.5FM
