The Pharaohs fly to Chad | Full Squad List

The Pharaohs will open their qualifying campaign against Chad away from home on 14 November 2015

Egypt’s squad includes 24 players, headed by the Egyptian Football Association boss Gamal Allam will arrive tonight to Chad as they will start their only training session on Friday before the game.

The winners of the double-legged second-round qualifiers will directly qualify for six four-team groups, whose winners make it to the World Cup in Russia 2018.

The squad witnessed the absence of key players due to injuries: Roma forward Mohamed Salah, Zamalek winger Hazem Emam, Ahly’s defender Rami Rabia and left-back Mohamed Abdel-Shafi.

Ramadan punished!

Cuper revealed on Wednesday that he snubbed Ahly youngster Ramadan Sobhi from the squad  because of his ‘repeated showboating’ during the last month’s Egypt Super Cup.

Egypt squad

Goalkeepers: Ahmed El-Shennawi, Sherif Ekramy, El-Mahdi Soliman

Defenders: Ahmed Tawfik, Omar Gaber, Ahmed Hegazy, Saad Samir, Mohamed Naguib, Ahmed Dwidar, Sabri Rahil, Ayman Ashraf

Midfielders: Hossam Ghaly, Tarek Hamed, Ibrahim Salah, Mohamed Elneny, Abdallah El-Saied, Moemen Zakareya, Amr Warda

Forwards: Mostafa Fathi, Mahmoud Kahraba, Ahmed Hassan ‘Koka’, Bassem Morsi, Ahmed Hassan Mekki, Amr Gamal

Egypt’s coach Hector Cuper believes that the 4-4-2 formation is the most compatible for his side.

“Until now I see the 4-4-2 formation as the most ideal one for the team,” Cuper told Sport360 on Tuesday.

“With this formation the team attacks quite well.”

It is likely that Zamalek striker Bassem Morsi and Braga striker Ahmed ‘Hassan’ Koka would start against Chad.