Pharaohs Select Mo Salah to Lead Assault against S’Eagles on Jan. 11

As expected, Egypt Football Federation has announced its squad to the forth coming AFCON with Liverpool star, Mohamed Salah, the all-time top African goal scorer in the Premier League, headlining country’s squad named yesterday.

Nigeria will square up with the seventh-time champions in the opening Group D match on the 11th of January. Super Eagles will similarly play Sudan and Guinea Bissau to complete the round-robin phase of the tournament.

Although the official date for the release of players to join their national teams was December 27, tournament organisers pushed back the deadline until January 3, which allows Salah to feature in Liverpool’s crucial Premier League clash with Chelsea this Sunday.

However, midfielder Mohamed Magdy, recent winner of CAF Super Cup with Cairo-based club Al Ahly, and winger Mostafa Fathi of rival Zamalek were both overlooked by coach Carlos Queiroz for the tournament starting on January 9 in Cameroon.

Both had featured in the Arab Cup in Qatar earlier this month.

Seven-time tournament winners Egypt, who last lifted the trophy in 2010, are among the favourites and open with a Group D clash against Nigeria on January 11 before playing Guinea Bissau and Sudan.

SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Mohamed el-Shennawi (Al-Ahly/EGY), Mohamed Abu Gabal (Zamalek/EGY), Mohamed Sobhi (Pharco/EGY), Mohamed Gad (ENPPI/EGY)

Defenders: Akram Tawfik (Al-Ahly/EGY), Omar Kamal Abdel Wahed (Future/EGY), Ahmed Hegazy (Ittihad Jeddah/KSA), Mahmoud Hamdy El Wensh (Zamalek/EGY), Ayman Ashraf (Al-Ahly/EGY), Ahmed Abou El Fotouh (Zamalek/EGY), Mohamed Abd El Moneim (Future/EGY), Mahmoud Alaa (Zamalek/EGY)

Midfielders: Amr Al Suleya(Al-Ahly/EGY), Hamdi Fathi (Al-Ahly/EGY), Emam Ashour (Zamalek/EGY), Abdallah Said (Pyramids/EGY), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal/ENG), Zizo (Zamalek/EGY), Mohanad Lasheen (El Gaish/EGY)

Strikers: Omar Marmoush (Stuttgart/GER), Mohamed Sherif (Al-Ahly/EGY), Mostafa Mohamed (Galatasaray/TUR), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/ENG), Trezeguet (Aston Villa/ENG), Ramadan Sobhi (Pyramids/EGY)