Egypt can lead challenge

Egypt line up at the African Youth Championships

Durosimi Thomas, who will be in Argentina covering the Under-20 World Cup for BBC Sport Online, assesses the chances of Egypt.

Egypt seem to have made it a rule that every 10 years there is a place for them at the World Youth Championship.

In 1981, the current coach Shawky Gharib was a member of the side that went all the way to the quarter-finals after beating Germany 2-1 and drawing with Mexico and Spain, but then went out 4-2 to England.

  Group A

Egypt

Argentina

Finland

Jamaica

The North Africans were to wait for another decade before competing in the championship in Portugal.

They crushed Trinidad & Tobago 6-0, but two defeats prevented them reaching the last eight.

For their third outing in Argentina, the young Pharaohs are not leaving anything to chance.

Expectations high

Preparations for the World Cup after the African Youth Championships started in Europe with two matches in Slovakia before the squad proceeded to South America.

Egypt take on Cameroon, but the match was abandoned first time

There they received a boost by winning a four-nations friendly tournament in Chile.

Expectations back home for the team who finished third in Ethiopia to win bronze, are high.

There was an outrage over a strange decision by the Confederation of African Football to annul a match between the Egyptians and Cameroon, who were accused of cheating in order to eliminate the other two teams in the group.

The authorities have attached great attention to this generation of young players, who are being groomed as the future national senior team, especially with the launch of a 2010 World Cup bid campaign imminent.

In Ethiopia, Egypt were knocked out in the semi-finals by hot favourites Ghana. But they were probably already worn down by the intimidating Ethiopian crowd who had chased them twice in their group matches.

Discovery of Hossam

Coach Gharib has built up a well-balanced unit from defence to attack, displaying a wealth of talent and technical exuberance.

Ahmed Hossam has already made a big move to Ajax

Gharib discovered Ahmed Hossam who has just made a £3m move to Dutch giants Ajax at only 19.

Hossam was a big influence in Ethiopia but did not travel to Argentina after a long season in Europe and the upheaval of his move to Holland.

Egypt are not short of strikers, though as Gharib can count on the lethal Mohamed El Yamany, who was the side's goal machine in Ethiopia.

In midfield, there is the replica of legendary Mahmoud Al-Khatib in the young Wael Reyad whose stamina and passing is phenomenal for his diminutive appearance.

Facing hosts

Defenders Mahmoud Mahmoud and Mohamed El-Atrawy were among the finest at the African Championship and have the ability to face the toughest strikers at the World Cup.

Wael Reyad has great passing ability

Egypt will be looking for a win against Jamaica, possibly the weakest side they will face, to build up confidence.

There is a very tough second match against hosts Argentina, who will have fanatical support, and then a final game against surprise European qualifiers Finland.

A place in the quarter-finals is likely for the Egyptians, but the Pharaohs of tomorrow could go all the way if they are taken for granted.