Despite the win, fans and critics alike have criticized the national team because everyone was expecting more of an entertaining and solid display from the reigning champions.

Nevertheless, I believe that the technical staff's approach to the game was more of a calculated risk that paid off, just like it did against Nigeria in the opening game.

Coach Hassan Shehata and his assistants are always weary of their opponents and prefer to start the game more on the defensive side and then adjust their style of play as the game progresses as a sign of caution.

This tactic was apparent against Mozambique as Shehata opted to start with a 3-5-2 formation that would allow him to control the tempo of the game and avoid any early goals that might alter his plans. As the game progressed he changed the formation to 4-4-2, giving his midfield and front line to go all out in attack in the second-half, which resulted in two goals.

It is important to note though that Egypt's players were not up to par in the first-half and allowed the much weaker Mozambican team to dominate midfield. Anyone watching Shehata's reactions at the time could tell how unhappy he was with the performance and the stalemate in the first-half.

Coach Shehata has to continue to emphasize to his players the importance of not underestimating their opponents, which as we already saw during this tournament has cost big teams like Cameroon and Ivory Coast a lot!

Effective Substitutions

Shehata's valuable experience and astuteness were demonstrated through his second-half substitutions, which began with the introduction of Ahmed Al-Muhammadi at the expense of Hani Saied.

Al-Muhammadi's introduction was well planned as his pace and attack-minded mentality helped in causing havoc on the Mozambique's left flank. With the ENPPI man filling the right wing position Ahmed Fathi was able to move to his favorite position in the heart of midfield.

Fathi, who deserved the man-of-the-match accolade, had managed to keep Mozambique's wingers at bay throughout the first half. He also gave a sturdy performance when he moved into the middle.

Besides breaking all of Mozambique's potential threats he was able fulfill the role of supporting midfielder with his energetic surges from midfield, one of which resulted in Egypt's opening goal that was scored by Mozambique defender Dario Khan.

Fathi's presence in the heart of midfield serves as an extra assurance for his midfield colleagues, especially the playmaker.

Personally, when I play alongside Fathi at the club or national team level I feel like I don't have to worry because I know there is a strong, fast and agile central midfielder behind me.

Up and Coming Stars

It was great to see Shikabala back in Egypt's starting line-up. The Zamalek winger has always been a fan favorite and everyone knows he has a lot of potential.

As far as I am concerned I felt that Shikabala did will against Mozambique and created space on the flanks with his fast pace and exceptional talent. Perhaps his excellent attempt on goal in the first half sums up exactly what kind of player he is.

His ball control and ability to fake passes gave him a clear scoring opportunity from the edge of the area, however, he was unlucky to see his curling shot denied by the keeper.

As for Geddo, I just can't begin to describe how happy I am to see this player develop and establish himself as a major contributor to the national team.

To score twice as a sub in your first two official games is such an unbelievable thing! And while I believe he should start in Egypt's next game against Benin, I think it would be wise for Shehata to continue to introduce him in the second-half.

It is important to have a player of Geddo's quality on the bench because it gives the coach options. Geddo's pace and style of play make him more valuable as a sub because his qualities can help make the difference in the latter stages of the game.