Date: March 25th
The match kicks off at 3:30 PM ET Canada-USA – 09:30 PM Cairo Local Time.
It takes place at the Cairo International Stadium.
EGYPT and Senegal are battling for glory as Mo Salah and Sadio Mane eye a place in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
But only one of the two Liverpool talismen will be on the plane to Qatar as the sides lock horns in a two-legged play-off.
Mohamed Salah is fit to play
The 29-year-old sat out Liverpool’s 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup on Sunday due to some foot pain.
Salah originally received a knock to the foot in a Premier League game against Brighton earlier this month before making a substitute appearance in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Arsenal last week.
However, Liverpool coach Klopp said Salah had “felt his foot again” and he was consequently left out of the Nottingham Forest match.
“Mohamed Salah will be ready for the Senegal game,” Diaa El-Sayed told reporters.
“He complained of some muscular pain that ruled him out of the Nottingham Forest game but his treatment program is going well and he will be fit for Senegal.”
Salah’s presence will be key to Egypt’s World Cup hopes as they seek to qualify for the Qatar finals and make a second consecutive appearance in the football’s most prestigious showpiece.
On Saturday, Queiroz announced his 23-man roster for the anticipated clashes.
The “Pharaohs” list includes Mohamed Magdy Afsha, who was absent from Egypt’s list in the Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021.
Egypt’s Full squad
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shennawy (Al-Ahly, Egypt) – Mohamed Abu Jabal (Zamalek, Egypt) – Mohamed Sobhi (Farco, 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 Zizou (Zamalek, Egypt), Mostafa Mohamed (Galatasaray, Turkey), Marwan Hamdi (Smouha, Egypt ), Omar Marmoush (Stuttgart, Germany), Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet (Bashak Shaher, Turkey)
Senegal
Cisse oversaw the Lions’ historic penalty shootout against Egypt last month, with Sadio Mane snatching the winning spot-kick after both sides finished scoreless through 120 cagey minutes in Cameroon.
It was a moment wrapped in both relief and redemption for the Liverpool star, who, not only missed a penalty in regulation but buried the burden of his nation’s last two attempts at claiming the crown in 2002 and 2019.
Mane’s moment was, in his own words, “the best day of my life”.
“I have total confidence in my group, and I have decided to stick with continuity,” Cisse said after naming a near-unchanged squad for the qualifiers.
“Winning an African Cup is not an end in itself because we all share a common goal and objective of playing at the World Cup again.
“We have a lot of respect for the Egyptian team who had chances to win the final, but we now have two finals in front of us with the same team.”
Senegal’s Full squad
Goalkeepers: Edouard Mendy (Chelsea, England), Alioune Badara Faty (Casa Sport), Bingourou Camara (Sporting Charleroi, Belgium)
Defenders: Bouna Sarr (Bayern Munich, Germany), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli, Italy) Abdou Diallo (PSG), Saliou Ciss (AS Nancy France), Pape Abou Cisse (Olympiakos, Greece), Fode-Ballo Toure (AC Milan, Italy), Youssouf Sabaly (Sevilla, Spain), Abdoulaye Seck (Antwerp, Belgium)
Midfielders: Idrissa Gana Gueye (PSG, France), Nampalys Mendy (Leicester City, England), Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace, England), Pape Matar Sarr (Metz, France), Moustapha Name (Paris FC, France), Loum Ndiaye (FC Porto, Portugal), Pape Gueye (Marseille, France)
Forwards: Sadio Mane (Liverpool, England), Ismaila Sarr (Watford, England), Famara Diedhiou (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Bamba Dieng (Marseille, France), Keita Balde Diao (Cagliari, Italy), Habib Diallo (Strasbourg, France), Mame Baba Thiam (Kayserispor, Turkey), Boulaye Dia (Villarreal, Spain)
