Dean Perretta: With Egypt hosting the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations tournament this summer, can you talk about the major expectations and the pressures on the team from both the Egyptian mainstream media and fans throughout the country?
Mahmoud Diaa: Certainly there will be pressure that the tournament is built in Egypt and the support of the public will be great, but at the same time many know that the competition for the championship this year will be very strong in the presence of teams the size of Morocco and Senegal at least.
The style of the Egyptian team changed a lot after the change of coach (Javier Aguirre) who came to play an offensive ball, contrary to what was happening in the past (with Héctor Cúper).
The presence of 24 teams in the (2019 Africa Cup of Nations) tournament will postpone strong matches to a more distant stage that offers a greater chance to play a number of matches and raise the pace of performance before the decisive confrontations of the quarter-finals.
