By Duncan Mackay
December 21 – England will launch their World Cup preparations on March 3 when they take on Egypt at Wembley, a match that will also give the country’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup an opportunity to promote their campaign to to Hany Abou Rida, a member of FIFA’s Executive Committee.
The match, the details which was first revealed on insideworldfootball earlier this month, were officially confirmed today by the Football Association.
Bid leaders will looking to impress Rida, a 56-year-old Egyptian businessman is also a member of the country’s FA and the African Confederation and it is believed he is one of the members of the Executive Committee who is still weighing up who to vote for at the meeting in Zurich on December 2, 2010.
As soon as the draw was completed in Cape Town earlier this month, England manager Fabio Capello made it a priority to secure Egypt as the Three Lions’ next opponents in the planning to face Algeria in their second Group C game in South Africa next year.
England do not have much experience of north African opposition and have never faced Algeria, who beat Egypt in a stormy play-off in Sudan to reach next summer’s Final.
Capello wants to put that right and felt Egypt were the obvious side to gain it against under the circumstances.
The last meeting with Egypt came during Italia 90, when Mark Wright’s single goal was enough to secure victory in Cagliari.
A repeat would represent a historic 500th victory for England.
Capello is also trying to arrange a friendly with Mexico in May, which will serve as a warm-up to the opening game against the United States, before playing a final friendly, likely to be against Japan, at the end of a pre-tournament training camp in Austria.
But, as also revealed exclusively on insideworldfootball last week, Nigeria’s Dr. Amos Adamu, another member of the FIFA Executive Committee, has requested a friendly against England before the World Cup.
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