Egypt's 1-0 victory over Cameroon in Sunday's final of the African Nations Cup was loaded with personal milestones, with the north Africans' captain, Ahmed Hassan, becoming the first player to win the title three times and their coach, Hassan Shahata, becoming only the second coach to win back-to-back editions of the tournament.
But the Pharaohs' success was all about team effort. The Egyptians' achievement in collecting a record sixth African continental title rested not on the talents of one player in any one game but on the consistency of their collective performances through six games and three weeks in Ghana.
Ironically for a competition that has produced some thrilling high-scoring contests, Sunday's final played out as a dense tactical affair in which Cameroon's German coach Otto Pfister had understandably sent his side out to stop Egypt's highly potent counter-attacking game while leaving Samuel Eto'o to labor alone up front in search of a goal. 
Read full article »