Patriotism and soft power: how Egypt sought to gain from Afcon
The tournament has been a clear opportunity for Egypt but there is a feeling the past month is best swept under the carpetWhen the curtain falls on Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations on Friday night, the overwhelming sense among many local residents will be one of relief. Senegal and Algeria will contest the final but there is a feeling, at the end of a hastily arranged tournament that divided home supporters and saw their team fall short of expectations, that the past month is best swept under the carpet. The country sought political capital from extending the arm of help to its continent when Cameroon was stripped of hosting rights last year, but the gains have been hard to discern.“Nobody...