Sherif Ekramy used to be Egypt's first-choice goalie but some shaky displays saw him fall down the pecking order under Argentinean coach Hector Cuper.

The 33-year-old has made 12 international appearances since earning his first call-up in 2013, playing in five World Cup qualifiers and seven friendly games.

Among those World Cup qualifying games was a painful one in October 2013 when Egypt slumped to a humiliating 6-1 defeat by Ghana in Kumasi in the first leg of a playoff. Ekramy started the match before being replaced on 55 minutes due to an injury.

Ekramy has been impressive with his club Ahly recently but is likely to be Egypt's third-choice keeper at the Nations Cup, with the veteran Essam El-Hadary and Zamalek's Ahmed El-Shennawi ahead of him in the pecking order.

Ekramy himself admitted El-Hadary deserved to be Egypt's first-choice keeper, saying the 43-year-old has already demonstrated that with some solid displays in Egypt's triumphant African Nations Cup campaigns in 2006, 2008 and 2010.