Coach Carlos Queiroz has announced his final 23-man Egypt squad for the 2022 Fifa World Cup play-off against Senegal, with regulars like Mohamed Salah, Mohamed El-Shennawy and Mohamed Elneny included.
Turkey-based Mostafa Mohamed made the cut alongside VFB Stuttgart’s Omar Marmoush and Pyramids defender Omar Gaber.
However, the likes of Ahmed Hegazi, Akram Tawfik, Ramadan Sobhi and Mohamed Hany did not make the cut due to injury concerns.
Another exclusion is Yeni Malatyaspor star Karim Hafez who is back in the national team set-up after an international match against Niger in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in March 2019.
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.
Queiroz’s men welcome the reigning African kings to the Cairo International Stadium on March 25 before travelling to the Diamniadio Olympic Stadium, four days later.
Recently, coach Aliou Cisse downplayed his team's chances ahead of the cracker against the Egyptians.
"This double confrontation with Egypt, the team that we have just beaten in the Afcon final on penalties promises to be tough and very difficult," Cisse said in a press conference via Foot Mercato.
"We are champions of Africa, but we are not favourites, because the statistics say that all the teams that have been African champions have not qualified for the World Cup.
"It's another competition, we will do everything to qualify. Professional football, high-level football does not only feed on the past. Today, we are facing two very important dates for Senegalese football."
EGYPT FULL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shennawy (Al Ahly), Mohamed Abou-Gabal (Zamalek), Mohamed Sobhi (Pharco FC)
Defenders: Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Abdelmomen, Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Omar Kamal (Future FC), Omar Gaber (Pyramids FC), Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh, Mahmoud Alaa, Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek)
Midfielders: Hamdi Fathi, Amr El-Sulya, Mohamed Magdy Afsha (Al Ahly), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal), Nabil Emad Dunga (Pyramids FC), Emam Ashour (Zamalek)
Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Omar Marmoush (VfB Stuttgart), Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet (İstanbul Başakşehir), Mostafa Mohamed (Galatasaray), Marwan Hamdi (Smouha), Ahmed Sayed Zizo (Zamalek)