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EXCLUSIVE:
On-form Egyptian striker Amr Zaki has revealed to EgyptianPlayers.com
that he is on his way to Europe, and that two English
clubs are chasing him including Newcastle United, as
well as teams from France and Germany.
Amr Zaki (right) challenges Portugal's
Luis Figo (Image source: FIFA)
Zaki, Egypt's top scorer at both an international
and domestic levels, has caught the eyes of some big
European clubs. The ENPPI striker scored more than anyone
for the national team in 2005, scoring 12 goals in 16
appearances, including 11 goals in his last 12 international
starts.
He also led ENPPI to Egyptian Cup success and into a
2nd place finish in the Egyptian League last season,
where he was joint-third top scorer. In the current
campaign, he is the top scorer in the league with 8
goals in 13 games, and ENPPI are once again 2nd with
around half of the season played.
EgyptianPlayers.com caught up with the youngster at
the Egyptian national team camp.
EP: This season you have shown great quality and you
have finished it by topping the scorers...
Zaki: "I am delighted that I have been awarded
third place in the Egyptian Player of the Year for 2005,
along with [Mohamed] Barakat and [Mohamed] Abotrica,
and they are both midfield players while I am a striker.
"I'm also happy that I managed to end the first
phase of the team as top scorer, and that I've managed,
along with my team-mates, to help ENPPI get to the semi-final
of the Arab Champions League and the second place in
the Egyptian League, and our victory of the Egyptian
Cup at the end of last season.
"And with the national team I've converted 17 goals
until now and 6 of them were in the World Cup Qualifiers.
I was also happy at being top scorer and Best Player
in the LG Friendly Tournament, and I hope that God helps
us succeed in the next competition."
EP: What are the details of the European offers that
you have received recently?
Zaki: "I have received French offers from
Bordeaux and the French press wrote about it. There
is also an offer from Nantes.
"There is an English agency that has spoken to
ENPPI and my club has said to them, just today, that
they have the permission to take on my case.
"In four days they (the agency) will give the club
two offers from England.
"One of them is from Newcastle United and is worth
€2 million or more.
"It is also possible that there will be two offers
from Germany after the African Cup of Nations. One is
from Bayer Leverkusen."
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EP: Is you decision to leave to Europe going to be delayed
until the African Cup of Nations ends?
Zaki: "No, it is possible that the English offer
can be confirmed, inshallah (God willing), before the tournament,
especially that I have played more than 75% of the national
team's games in the last two years and that those people have
been following me and are convinced in me. However, the English
company is trying to bring the highest fee."
EP: What about the national team? Were the preparations for
the African Cup 2006 as you'd desired?
Zaki: "The preparations were very good but we
were hoping that we play the Nigeria game that got cancelled.
But after the South Africa match we've played four friendly
games and these are regarded as a good try-out to build harmony
between players and to make captain Hassan Shehata able to
form a line-up, and inshallah (God willing), this will give
us confidence in ourselves and in our crowd.
"We will do something for our country inshallah (God
willing)..."
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