Egypt's new coach Hector Cuper (Photo: Ahram)
Egypt's national team will play two friendly games against Burundi and Malawi as part of their preparations for the 2017 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
"Egypt's technical staff have chosen to play two friendly matches against Burundi and Malawi on 12 May and 8 June respectively," the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced in a statement via its official website on Wednesday.
"Argentine Coach Hector Cuper has rejected offers to play against Sierra Leone, Djibouti, Uzbekistan, Australia or Syria, choosing to face Burundi and Malawi for the appropriate dates that were available.
"There could be new contacts with these teams to arrange friendly matches next July or August," the statement added.
The record holders of seven AFCON trophies, Egypt, have been drawn in Group G of the 2017 qualifiers along with Nigeria, Tanzania and Chad.
They will kick-off their bid to reach the Gabon finals on 14 June against Tanzania.
Egypt, under new boss Cuper, will hold two training camps, one between 18 and 21 June and another between 7 and 14 July.
Cuper's first challenge will be to bounce back into Africa's football elite after three failed attempts in a row, though the ultimate aim is to achieve the long-held dream of qualifying for the World Cup, a moment Egyptians haven't experienced since 1990.
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