Columnist Adel Iskandar writing about Egyptian football star Geddo in the Cairo newspaper, Al-Masry Al-Youm

When Egypt was crowned African Champions in January (2010), Geddo was the tournament’s top scorer and the country’s savior par excellence. But what did Geddo save Egypt from? He had not fed the hungry, sheltered the homeless, treated the ailing, solved water shortage problems, improved the quality of education, conquered corruption, took on rampant sexual harassment, curbed domestic violence, burst the real estate bubble, or anything of the sort. Instead, he saved Egypt from Egypt. A nation increasingly aware of its receding role in regional politics, Egyptians are now sensitive to national blunders and pained by the all-too-frequent injuries to collective pride. It comes as no secret that almost every development indicator in Egypt is in decline, with the exception of literacy rates and access to communication. The executive summary of the 2010 Egypt Human Development Report states that “the most striking and unusual finding” of the report is the “extent to which youth are excluded from political and civic participation.” Why this would strike anyone as a surprise is beyond my comprehension.