Pharaohs Make History With Third-Straight Cup of Nations Title

It was the only match of the tournament that Egypt failed to win by more than one goal, but Sunday's final against Ghana still exhibited the Pharoah's control over the 2010 African Cup of Nations.

Though Ghana was the better side at the match's onset, there was never the feeling that Egypt was in danger, and as play progressed Egypt slowly asserted themselves.  The strength of their grip on the match increased as time ticked away, and by the end a Pharaoh goal looked inevitable.

With help from Mohamed Zidan, Gedo scored his tournament-leading fifth goal - all off the bench - giving the Pharaohs the 1-0 win.

While Ghana approached this tournament as a feeling-out process for a number of young players who needed evaluation before June, Milovan Rajevac got the young Black Stars within a breath of winning this tournament.  They were the only team to keep Egypt under two goals (through Cameroon did the same through regulation time).  Had they found the early goal they got against Burkina Faso, Angola, and Nigeria, a squad that was missing most of its regulars from World Cup qualifying might have knocked off the Pharaohs.

Might have, could have - these are the doubts that Rajevac embraced when he decided to go with an untried squad.  He deserves credit for guiding that team to the final, even though the tactics he employed to do so were criticized as (I'll be euphemistic) unambitious.

In that sense, the final was a bit unfair to the Egyptians.  What should have been a historic event - the first time a team has ever won this tournament three times in a row - was undermined by Ghana's squad selection.

But consider that Egypt had to beat Nigeria, Cameroon, and Algeria before the final - winning each match with relative ease - and Egypt had a championship resumé before the final kicked-off.  Looked at in the context of a Cup of Nations unbeaten streak that has reached 19 matches, Egypt's win over Ghana is less about Sunday, more about legacy.

Egypt's nineteen match Cup of Nations winning streak started in 2004, with a nil-nil draw with Cameroon.  Days after a 2-1 loss in group play to Algeria, the draw put them out of the tournament.

Since that loss, Egypt has gone 16-3-0.  One of those wins was through penalty kicks.  During that time, the Pharaohs have scored 42 goals while allowing only 10.  Their 4-2, January 2008 win over Cameroon was the only time they've given up two goals.  During this stretch, Egypt has scored three (or more) goals nine times.

They have three wins over Cameroon, three more over Côte d'Ivoire.  They'd beaten Algeria and Nigeria, but until Sunday had not col lected Ghana's amongst their scalps.

Though back-to-back Cup of Nations titles had been accomplished three previous times (four, if you count Egypt in 2006 and 2008), no nation had won this tournament three times in a row.  Considering the nature of the game - where it is not uncommon to see a chance early goal hold-up - the odds are long against a team being able to make this kind of run. 

There are only two other instances were a nation has won their continental championship three times in a row.  It has never happened in Europe or Asia or (remarkably, considering Australia's previous dominance) Oceania.  

It has happened once in South America, where Argentina won the old South American Championship each time it was held (annually) from 1945 through 1947.  That dominance lasted half the time of Egypt's (six year span for the Pharaohs).

In CONCACAF, México won the Gold Cup in 1993, 1996, and 1998.  Not only did their span last one extra year (seven, compared to Egypt's six), but they beat Brazil 2-0 in the 1996 final.  It was not Brazil's A-side, but if Africa had given a spot to Italy or Germany during Egypt's recent run, their three-peat would look all the more impressive.

But the major difference between México's run and Egypt's streak:  CONCACAF between 1993 and 1998 was not as strong as CAF is now.  México was very strong during that stretch, making it out of their World Cup group in both 1994 and 1998, but you could argue either a.) the current best of Africa is strong, and/or b.) there is much more depth to the region than there has ever been in CONCACAF.

That depth explains the ultimate irony of Egypt's excellence: Despite not having lost in this competition since 2004, Egypt did not qualify for Germany, they did not qualify for South Africa.  The last time they qualified for a World Cup:  U.S.A., 1990.

Ahmed Hassan - the player of the tournament (my choice, too) - has over 170 international caps and has playing in eight Cup of Nations tournaments.  He has been part of four continental championship teams, yet he's never been to a World Cup.  He will be 39 for Brazil 2014.

Hassan has been overlooked because he has never been afforded the spotlight of the World Cup.

The Egyptian team and program is in the same boat.  Without the spotlight of the World Cup, this team is destined to become the most overlooked continental dynasty of all time.