Rejuvenated striker Ahmed Belal scored a hat-trick as Egypt eased into the Nile Basin final with a crushing 5-1 victory over Kenya in Cairo on Friday.
Once regarded as one of Egypt’s finest footballers, Belal, 30 years, was given a new lease of life by Shehata after a six-year absence from the national team selection after a succession of injuries and a notable dip in form took their toll on him.
Egypt, who are preparing for a crunch African Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa in March, will face Uganda in the Nile Basin final after the latter secured a surprise 1-0 win over the Democratic Republic of Congo earlier in the day.
Belal needed 13 minutes to put Egypt in front when he superbly chested down a long pass from lively forward Mahmoud Abdel-Razek ‘Shikabala’ before sending a low shot into the bottom corner from inside the area.
Shikabala had a hand in Egypt’s second goal on 21 minutes when he let a pass roll past him on the edge of the area to allow striker Al-Sayed Hamdi to gather the ball and fire home.
Combative defender Wael Gomaa, who recently celebrated earning his 100th international cap, scored a rare goal with a simple tap in four minutes later to effectively end the game as a contest.
Kenya pulled one back five minutes past the hour mark but never looked capable of causing an upset against seven-time African champions Egypt.
Belal further staked his claim for a regular place in Egypt’s squad when he added the fourth few minutes later after making the most of a rebound. He the completed his hat-trick with an 89th-minute goal.
Watch the goals: Egypt 5-1 Kenya
