Online Reporter
MOHAMED SALAH is set to captain Egypt at the FIFA World Cup this summer after being named in their preliminary 27-man squad.
The 33-year-old forward, who will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after nine years, has scored 67 goals in 115 appearances for Egypt. He is joined by Manchester City winger Omar Marmoush and uncapped 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim, who plays for Barcelona Under-19s.
Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed has been left out, and head coach Hossam Hassan will drop one player after a friendly against Russia in Cairo on May 28 to reduce the squad to the FIFA-mandated 26 players.
Egypt will play Brazil in a friendly in Cleveland six on June 6.
Drawn in Group G at the World Cup, Egypt face Belgium on June 15, New Zealand on June 22 and Iran on June 27.
The expanded 48-team competition in the US, Canada and Mexico runs from June 11 to July 19. Former stars differ on Africa’s chances
Former Senegal star El Hadji Diouf shares the belief of CAF president Patrice Motsepe that an African team can win the 2026 World Cup but Nigeria great Jay-Jay Okocha is unsure.
Morocco stunned Spain and Portugal en route to the semi-finals at the last global showpiece in Qatar four years ago before falling to France. Now, as the United States, Canada and Mexico prepare to co-host a record 48 nations, the football world wonders whether Africa can go even further, or was 2022 a flash in the pan?
“Why not?” responded ex-Liverpool striker Diouf when asked by AFP if an African captain could lift the trophy in New Jersey on July 19.
“Take my own country. We have amazing players like Sadio (Mane), Idrissa (Gueye) and Edouard (Mendy).
Egypt World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly), Mostafa Shobeir (Al Ahly), El Mahdi Soliman (Zamalek), Mohamed Alaa (El Gouna)
Defenders: Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly), Tarek Alaa (Zed), Hamdy Fathy (Al Wakrah), Rami Rabia (Al Ain), Yasser Ibra-him (Al Ahly), Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek), Mohamed Abdelmonemn (Nice), Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek), Karim Hafez (Pyramids)
Midfielders: Marwan Ateya (Al Ahly), Mohanad Lasheen (Pyramids), Nabil Emad (Al Najma), Mahmoud Saber (Zed), Ahmed Zizo (Al Ahly), Emam Ashour (Al Ahly), Mostafa Ziko (Pyramids), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Al Ahly), Ibrahim Adel (Nordsjaelland), Haissem Hassan (Real Oviedo)
Forwards: Omar Marmoush (Manchester City), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Aqtay Abdallah (Enppi), Hamza Abdel-karim (Barcelona). — AFPBC Sport.
