The Portuguese Carlos Queiroz, head coach of the Egyptian national team, announced the list of Pharaohs that will compete in the two matches against Senegal, scheduled for March 25 and 29, in the qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
The “Pharaohs” list includes Mohamed Magdy ‘Afsha’, who was absent from the Egypt’s list in the African Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021.
The World Cup qualifying game comes as an opportunity for the Pharaohs to bounce back to winning ways after they were defeated by Senegal on penalties in the final of Afcon 2021.
A hit rate was also determined with Mohamed Salah, who was threatened to miss the two crucial matches after being hit in the foot. The Liverpool superstar is part of the announced squad.
The “Pharaohs” camp, led by Queiroz, started Sunday March 20 in Cairo in the last stage of the qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup Qatar.
Full squad
Goalkeepers: Mohamed el-Shennawy (Al-Ahly, Egypt) – Mohamed Abu Jabal (Zamalek, Egypt) – Mohamed Sobhi (Pharco, Egypt).
Defenders: Omar Kamal (Futures, Egypt), Yasser Ibrahim (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Omar Jaber (Pyramids, Egypt), Mohamed Abdel Moneim (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Mahmoud Hamdi (Zamalek, Egypt), Mahmoud Alaa (Zamalek, Egypt ), Ayman Ashraf (Al-Ahly, Egypt ), Ahmed Fattouh (Zamalek, Egypt ).
Midfielders: Hamdi Fathi (Al-Ahly, Egypt),Nabil Donga (Pyramids, Egypt), Imam Ashour (Zamalek, Egypt), Amr al-Sulayya (Al-Ahly, Egypt), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal, England), Mohamed Magdy ‘Afsha’ (Al-Ahly, Egypt).
Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England), Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’ (Zamalek, Egypt), Mostafa Mohamed (Galatasaray, Turkey), Marwan Hamdi (Smouha, Egypt), Omar Marmoush (Stuttgart, Germany), Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet (Bashak Shaher, Turkey)
Senegal reinforces squad
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse boosted his squad for the decisive 2022 World Cup playoff clash with Egypt next week by recalling Belgium-based goalkeeper Bingourou Kamara and Youssouf Sabaly of Spanish side Real Betis.
The duo are part of a 26-man squad revealed by Cisse on Friday for the two-legged encounter as the coach kept faith with most of the players that helped the Teranga Lions to win the 2021 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Several top players like Liverpool superstar Sadio Mane, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy of Chelsea, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly and PSG star midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye were all retained in the squad to face the team they defeated in the final of the AFCON.
Coach Cisse was forced to leave out two goalkeepers that were part of the squad that won Senegal’s first continental triumph in Cameroon last month.
Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Seny Dieng and Alfred Gomis of French side Rennes were excluded from the team because of injuries, resulting in the recall of Kamara.
With the key players in the squad and the recall of the two players for the first-leg of the tie against the Pharaohs on March 25, Cisse said his squad is hungry for success.
“I have total confidence in my group and I have decided to do it in continuity,” Cisse declared at a press conference according to CAF online, insisting that he expects a ‘difficult match’ against Egypt.
“Winning an African Cup is not an end in itself,” he said,stressing that going to the World Cup is really the goal of his team.
“We have a lot of respect for the Egyptian team who had chances to win the final.” Senegal coach insisted, stressing that the objective is to go to Qatar 2022.
Kamara has already played two games with Senegal in a friendly against Morocco that they lost 3-1 and the goalless draw with Congo in the 2021 AFCON qualifiers.
The gloves-man is in the squad together with first choice shot-stopper Mendy as well as goalkeeper Alioune Badara Faty of Casa Sports in the Senegalese top-fight.
Faty, who won the 2021 Senegal Cup, was the only home-based player in the group of 28 players at the AFCON in Cameroon.
Called up for the first time against Togo and Congo in the World Cup qualifiers last November, Faty has since been a part of the Senegal squad.
Joseph Lopy of French side Sochaux and Ibrahima Mbaye are absent with the latter injured while the defender has not been called due to the lack of playing time with the Italian club.
Senegal will face Egypt in the two playoff matches next week and the winner over both legs will qualify for the tournament in Qatar.
The Lions are seeking to complete the double over Egypt after defeating them in the final of the AFCON while the Pharaohs are eyeing a revenge.
The list of 26 players:
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea, England), Aliou Badara Faty (Casa Sports), Bingourou Kamara (Charleroi, Belgium).
Defenders: Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli, Italy), Abdou Diallo (PSG, France), Bouna Sarr (Bayern Munich, Germany), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos, Greece), Saliou Ciss (Nancy, France), Fodé Ballo-Toure (Milan, Italy), Youssouf Sabaly (Betis, Spain), Abdoulaye Seck (Antwerp, Belgium).
Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye (PSG, France), Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace, England), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester, England), Pape Gueye (OM, France), Loum Ndiaye (Levante, Spain), Moustapha Name (Paris FC, France), Pape Matar Sarr (FC Metz, France).
Forwards: Sadio Mane (Liverpool, England), Ismaila Sarr (Watford, England), Bamba Dieng (OM, France), Keïta Balde (Cagliari, Italy), Habib Diallo (RC Strasbourg, France), Boulaye Dia (Villarreal, Spain), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Mame Baba Thiam (Kayserispor, Turkey)
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