JOHANNESBURG – Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah will don the Egypt shirt for the first time in almost two years as his side take on Kenya and Comoros in Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifiers over the next week.
The Pharaohs – as Egypt are known – will face Kenya in Nairobi on Thursday, before finishing their campaign at home in Cairo against Comoros on March 29.
Salah last played for Egypt at home at the Afcon in July 2019. Salah will now make his return as Egypt are aiming to strengthen their record with a 25th Afcon appearance next year in Cameroon.
Other notable returnees to Egypt’s 28-man squad include Zamalek goalkeeper Mahmoud Abdel Rehim, Al Ahly defender Yasser Ibrahim and Pyramids defender Omar Gaber, while Ceramica Cleopatra forward Ahmed Yasser Rayan (on loan from Al Ahly) earned his first-ever Egypt call.
Egypt currently tops Group G on eight points, the same as Comoros, and a point from either of their upcoming two games will seal their place in Afcon. Kenya are third with three points while Togo trails the pack with a single point.
Egypt squad:
Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shennawy (Al Ahly), Mahmoud Abdel Rehim “Gennish” (Zamalek), Mohamed Bassam (Talaea EL Gaish), Amer Amer (Ceramica Cleopatra)
Defenders: Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly), Omar Gaber (Pyramids), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Ahmed Fattouh (Zamalek), Ahmed Hegazi (Ittihad, Saudi Arabia), Mahmoud Hamdy (Zamalek), Ali Gabr (Pyramids), Ahmed Ayman Mansour (Pyramids), Yasser Ibrahim (Al Ahly)
Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal, England), Amr El Soleya (Al Ahly), Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Hamdi Fathy (Al Ahly), Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet” (Aston Villa, England), Mohamed Farouk (Pyramids), Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” (Zamalek), Islam Issa (Pyramids), Mostafa Fathy (Smouha), Mohamed Magdy “Afsha” (Al Ahly)
Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England), Mostafa Mohamed (Galatasaray, Turkey), Hossam Hassan (Smouha), Mohamed Sherif (Al Ahly), Ahmed Yasser Rayan (Ceramica Cleopatra)
African News Agency (ANA)