Mark: For another data point on the creeping re-Islamicization of Egypt, consider that country’s national soccer coach, Hassan Shehata.

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata wants only players who observe Islam, and says team selection is based equally on religious piety and skill.

This is newsier than it sounds, as the Egyptian team has just won the Cup of Nations, Africa’s principal international soccer tournament, played in even-numbered years to intense excitement all over the continent. The Egyptians were defending champions, having won in 2006 and 2008, so winning a third consecutive time is sensational.

Presumably Coach Shehata puts the team’s success down to their Islamic piety.

I always strive to make sure that those who wear the Egypt jersey are on good terms with God.

There’s nothing ecumenical about that God. Egyptian Christians — 10 percent of the nation’s population — need not apply for places on the national team. Neither need insufficiently pious Muslims like Cairo’s star player Ahmed Mido, dropped from the Cup of Nations team for (according to one local newspaper) too much partying.

Funny to find oneself feeling a twinge of nostalgia for Gamal Abdul Nasser, who was an ethno-socialist thug — a sort of 1950s Hugo Chávez, but without the oil.

Fact, I’m beginning to wonder if there wasn’t something to be said for King Farouk after all. Sure, he was an irresponsible playboy, but his antics added some color to the dull, dark days of postwar Britain. I can remember my Dad cracking jokes about him. Noël Coward joined in (borrowing Cole Porter’s tune, “Let’s Do It”):

Monkeys whenever you look do it
Aly Khan and King Farouk do it
Let’s do it, let’s fall in love . . .