- Egypt top the group with 6 points after two games
- They last played at the World Cup finals in 1990
A week after naming his foreign based players, Egypt Coach hector Cuper has also revealed his locally based contingent for the back to back games against Uganda Cranes.
The Pharaohs play away to Uganda in the first match on Thursday August 31 before the return match five days later in Alexandria.
The 15-man local based squad has three goalkeepers of which two in Sherif Ekrami of Al Ahly and Ahmed El-Shennawy of Zamalek were part of the squad in Afcon 2017 in Gabon.
Giants Zamalek and Ahly still remain the biggest contributors to the national team with only three of the fifteen not plying their trade with the two giants.
Striker Hossam Hassan of Smouha, defender Mohamed Fathi of Ismaily as well as goalie Mohamed Awaad (Ismaily) are the exceptions.
They join a host of foreign based players who include among others Liverpool’s forward Mohamed Salah and Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny.
“The team will hold a closed training camp between 21 and 23 August in Cairo, before Cuper announces the details about his squad and preparations for the match,” Egyptian Football Association board member Ehab Lehitah stated on Wednesday.
Egypt lead the group with maximum points, two more than Uganda after two games and the outcome of the two fixtures will greatly determine who plays in Russia next year.
Uganda has never played at the World Cup whilst Egypt’s last appearance at the world’s biggest showpiece came in 1990.
The Local Based Players:
Goalkeepers: Sherif Ekrami (Ahly), Ahmed El-Shennawy (Zamalek), Mohamed Awaad (Ismaily).
Defenders: Saad Samir (Ahly), Rami Rabia (Ahly), Ali Gabr (Zamalek), Ahmed Fathi (Ahly), Ayman Ashraf (Ahly), Mohamed Fathi (Ismaily).
Midfielders: Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Ahmed El-Sheikh (Ahly), Hossam Ashour (Ahly), Abdallah El-Said (Ahly), Saleh Gomaa (Ahly).
Strikers: Hossam Hassan (Smouha).
The Foreign Based Players:
Goalkeeper: Essam El-Hadary (Taawoun, Saudi)
Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa, England), Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (Ahly Jeddah, KSA), Ahmed Hegazy (West Bromwich, England), Omar Gaber (Basel, Switzerland), Karim Hafiz (Lens, France)
Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal, England), Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan (Kasimpasa, Turkey), Sam Morsi (Wigan, England), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City, England)
Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England), Ahmed Koka (Sporting Braga, Portugal), Mostafa Fathi (Taawoun, Saudi), Amr Warda (CD Feirense, Portugal)