DEFENDING Champions Egypt began their Africa Cup of Nations defence with a big surprise win when they crushed aside the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon 4-2 at the Baba Yara stadium in Kumasi yesterday.

Mohamed Zidan, who was deservedly given the Man of Match award scored a first-half double as the title holders Egypt made an impressive start.

The striker netted in the 17th minute and in the stoppage time of the first half as Egypt went 3-0 up at the interval in the Group C game.

Midfielder Hosni Abd Rabou also scored twice, putting Egypt ahead with a 14th-minute penalty and adding a powerful shot nine minutes from time.

Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o pulled two back for Cameroon, heading in a cross six minutes into the second half and converting a penalty just before the final whistle but his effort was never going to be enough after the Pharaohs had taken the lead.

Egypt showed that they were potential title contenders and that their win in on home turf two years ago was no flash in the pan. “We are happy to claim a major scalp and a big team in Cameroon. It is a perfect start for us,” two-goal hero Zidan told Daily Monitor soon after the game.

"We hope to win the tournament for a sixth record time. Having done it before, it means we can do it again,” he added.

The Pharaohs started brightly and earned the early penalty for handball by defender Andre Bikey, with Hosni wrong-footing keeper Carlos Idriss Kameni.
Three minutes later, Zidan made it two at the conclusion of a sharp counter-attack from a Cameroon corner at the other end.

Cameroon coach Otto Pfister added steel to his midfield at halftime by replacing Landry Nguemo and Stephane Mbia with Achille Emana and Alexandre Song.
The 2002 champions' bright start to the second half was rewarded when Eto'o headed home a cross from the right on 51 minutes.

But Egypt coach Hassan Shehata locked the door five minutes later when he replaced Zidan with defender Ahmed Al Muhammadi and Hosni secured victory with a strike from 25 metres.

Eto'o's stoppage-time penalty took him to within one goal of the Nations Cup record of 14 set by Ivory Coast's Laurent Pokou in 1970.

“This is a very good start for us. We are looking to the next game against Sudan on Saturday,” said Pharaohs’Shehata before adding, “May be Cameroon underestimated our potential. They tried so hard to bounce back but we were ready.”