African Cup of Nations: Matthew Spiro now knows why Egypt was not given the 2010 World Cup

Samuel Eto'o ducks down and covers his head as he is mobbed by a group of colourfully-clad Cameroon supporters desperate to congratulate their star man on his splendid hat-trick against Angola. The Barcelona striker has just arrived in the mixed zone at Cairo's Military Stadium, an area that under normal circumstances would be cordoned off for the press to conduct their post-match interviews.

Procedures in Africa are often different to Europe, however, and with fans milling in and out of this "restricted" area seemingly at will, Eto'o is forced to fight his way through the crowds like the rest of us.

After stopping to sign autographs for two striking women draped in a Cameroon flag, the diminutive attacker jinks his way through the scrum with a couple of familiar sidesteps and is soon ready to field questions. Only the fittest and most determined journalists have made it into the small, airless room, and most are left wondering whether it was all worth while as Eto'o spouts the usual cliches about taking one game at a time before being whisked on to the Cameroon bus.

The performance of the Indomitable Lions, and in particular Eto'o, provided the brightest spark during the first round of group matches. In defeating World Cup novices Angola 3-1, the four-time champions have gone some way towards silencing those critics claiming they are a spent force after missing out on qualification for Germany themselves.

Eto'o is not the only big name making the headlines in Egypt, though. Home favourite Mido, Francileudo dos Santos of Tunisia, DR Congo captain Lomana LuaLua, Ivory Coast forward Didier Drogba and Senegal's Henri Camara are among those to have hit the target in the opening games. The superior quality of the pitches and the presence of nearly all the top strikers mean the poor finishing that has marred recent editions of the Cup of Nations is unlikely to resurface here. But unfortunately, as Eto'o would no doubt testify, the lasting impression of the first six days has been the chaotic scenes off the pitch rather than the good, attacking football on display.

The last time Egypt hosted the Cup of Nations, in 1986, the police rioted, the army imposed a public curfew and tanks surrounded every stadium for security reasons. Measures have not been so extreme this year, but the stringent and peculiarly thought-out security plans have resulted in frenetic conditions for the media and supporters.

When Egypt are in action the tournament organisers have advised journalists to arrive at the stadium five to six hours in advance. Once the initial obstacle of crawling through the gridlocked traffic has been successfully negotiated, entry to the stadium is hampered by the presence of metal detectors in almost every doorway. The alarm invariably sounds, prompting a series of angry Arabic outbursts as officials debate whether or not a bag needs to be searched for the umpteenth time.

Mobile phones are then confiscated - they supposedly interfere with the radio frequency used by security staff - though, reassuringly, you are handed a scrap of paper with an Arabic symbol scribbled on it in exchange.

Inside the ground recreational activities are limited, though the frequent evacuations of the media rooms help to while away the hours. Bomb scares seem part of everyday life here and the ferocious Alsatian sniffer dogs display the kind of efficiency that is lacking elsewhere. The only available refreshment comes in the form of a portable McDonald's van whose excessively greasy burgers quickly run out, but, given the absence of toilet paper in these parts, keeping food consumption to a minimum is no bad thing.

Such is the nature of African people, the trying conditions are offset by good-humoured banter and despairing glares and usually followed by a broad smile. But suggestions that Egypt might have been a suitable choice for hosting the 2010 World Cup appear way off the mark.

Before the opening game in Port Said, rumours were circulating that Italy coach Marcello Lippi was coming to observe his future World Cup opponents Ghana against Nigeria. Raymond Domenech has also vowed to travel to Egypt to see Togo in action before they face his France team in Germany. Not surprisingly, Lippi was nowhere to be seen, and if Domenech has got wind of the mayhem that is the 25th Cup of Nations, he may settle for armchair viewing too.