Egypt’s coach Hassan Shehata has recalled Belgian Lierse SK striker Mohamed El-Gabas to the Pharaohs squad for South Africa’s clash, a statement on the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) read on Saturday.

Shehata has already included four foreign-based players; goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary (El-Merreikh/Sudan), Mohamed Zidan (Borussia Dortmund/Germany), Ahmed Ali (Al-Hilal/KSA) and Ahmed Elmohamady (Sunderland/ENG) to take part in the crucial game with the Bafana Bafana.

The 61-year-old coach hopes that El-Gabas will add strength to his front line as Ahly star striker Emad Meteb is out on an injury while Zamalek’s Amr Zaki has just recovered from a lengthy injury.

The 23-year-old El-Gabas scored four goals in 27 appearances with Lierse SK this season. His only international participation was against Zambia in the World Cup qualifiers 2010.

Shehata will unveil his entire squad on 27 May after Egyptian League’s day 23.

Egypt, who lay in the at the bottom of the Group G table with a single point behind South Africa (seven), are in a must-win situation to keep their hopes for playing in the finals, hosted in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.