Date: Wednesday 1st December 2021
Time: 8:00 AM ET | 15:00 Cairo Local Time
Venue: Al Thumama Stadium, Doha
Egypt will face Lebanon in their opening game of the Arab Cup Group D.
Queiroz said his side would launch a title assault in Qatar but that what matters most is how the team can take full advantage of the tournament to get ready for the two-legged playoff.
“The Arab Cup arrives as a great opportunity to prepare our Team and Players for the playoff in March,” the Portuguese coach said on Twitter.
“Our World Cup final is in March. We are going to do everything to improve, to be better, and to put the Egyptian shirt always in a higher position.”
Egypt were drawn in Group D of the Arab Cup along with Lebanon, Algeria and Sudan.
The Pharaohs will play without some of their prized assets, including Liverpool talisman Mohamed Salah, Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, Stuttgart winger Omar Marmoush and Galatasaray striker Mostafa Mohamed.
With the team mainly comprised of locally-based players, Queiroz will have a chance to test some new faces before the African Cup of Nations gets underway in January.
Egypt’s last meeting with Lebanon was a friendly game in 2012, which the seven-time African champions won 4-1.
“It is an honor for us to be here in Qatar and a great opportunity to grow up as a team in this Arab Cup. We want to be proud of our work and make people proud of our team. We are here with full ambition to achieve greatness,” Queiroz added.
Head-to-head records of Egypt against Lebanon:
1961 Egypt 4-0 Lebanon | Pan Arab Games
1963 Egypt 2-0 Lebanon | Mediterranean Games
1974 Lebanon 0-2 Egypt | Arab Cup, Damascus
1988 Egypt 3-0 Lebanon | FIFA Arab Cup
1995 Lebanon 1-1 Egypt | International Friendly
2012 Lebanon 1-4 Egypt | International Friendly
Egypt’s final 23-man squad
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shennawy (Ahly), Mahmoud Gad (Enppi), Mohamed Sobhy (Pharco FC)
Defenders: Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek), Mohamed Abdel-Moneim (Future FC), Ahmed Yassin (NBE club), Mahmoud “El-Wensh” Hamdi (Zamalek), Ayman Ashraf (Ahly), Akram Tawfik (Ahly), Marwan Dawoud (Enppi)
Midfielders: Hamdy Fathi (Ahly), Amr El-Sulaya (Ahly), Mohanad Lasheen (Talae El-Geish), Emam Ashour (Zamalek), Mohamed Magdi “Afsha” (Ahly), Mostafa Fathi (Zamalek), Ahmed Sayed Zizo (Zamalek), Ahmed Refaat (Masry), Omar Kamal (Future FC)
Strikers: Mohamed Sherif (Ahly), Marwan Hamdy (Smouha), Osama Faisal (NBE club), Hussein Faisal (Smouha)
