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Mubarak welcomes triumphant Pharaohs home

CAIRO - President Hosni Mubarak gave the Egypt football team a hero’s welcome in Cairo on Monday, after they made history by winning their third successive Africa Cup of Nations trophy.

This summer’s World Cup finals in South Africa will miss out from the absence of the now seven-times champions of the continent, Cairo newspapers blared.

Mubarak personally greeted the Pharaohs’ coach Hassan Shahata and each of the players at Cairo international airport, with the homecoming broadcast on national television.

The victors, who beat Ghana 1-0 in the final in Angola on Sunday, were also greeted by Prime Minister Ahmad Nazif, Mubarak’s sons Alaa and Gamal, as well as thousands of jubilant fans.

Many supporters had partied at the airport overnight.

The Pharaohs’ victory, which Mohammed “Gedo” Nagy secured with a goal in the 85^th minute, brought to seven the number of Africa Cup titles they have won and made them the first country to clinch three consecutive wins.

The Egyptian press hailed a “well-earned” and “historic” victory on Monday, made all the sweeter after the Pharaohs’ humiliating elimination from the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa by bitter rivals Algeria.

“Egyptians, kings of Africa for the seventh time,” Al-Ahram proclaimed on its front page, praising “an achievement without precedent, the greatest in football history.”

“The national squad has crushed those who qualified for the World Cup,” paper added, referring to its Africa Cup victories over Algeria, Cameroon and Nigeria ahead of the final triumph over Ghana.

“The experts were not wrong when they said ... that the world is missing out from the absence of such a great team as the Pharaohs, who should have been among those present in South Africa.”