Ramadan Sobhi is Egypt’s U23 team
captain
The full draw for the Under-23 Africa Cup of Nations was announced earlier this week and the Egyptian national football team will have to do it the hard way if it wants to win the competition on Egyptian soil. This is only the third edition of the tournament with the first played in 2011 and won by Gabon and the second played in 2015 and won by Nigeria.
This year’s edition was initially scheduled to take place in Zambia but it withdrew its name in July 2017. In the same year the African federation announced that Egypt will host it.
The tournament also decides which three African teams will compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics men’s football tournament in Japan. Egypt certainly has a battle on its hands if it wants to be crowned champions given the names of the other seven nations taking part. Egypt’s group includes giant African names in the form of Mali, Cameroon and Ghana. However, all three nations are yet to achieve anything spectacular in the U-23 tournament as Cameroon and Ghana are taking part in the competition for the first time while Mali made its only previous appearance in 2015 and bowed out in the group stages.
Egypt managed to win the bronze medal when it finished third in 2011 but bowed out in the group stages in 2015. All four teams are very strong so Egypt will have to be at its very best to avoid leaving early like in 2015.
The other group is even stronger as it includes the current champions Nigeria alongside Ivory Coast, South Africa and Zambia. South Africa finished third in 2015 while Zambia will be making its second appearance after bowing out in the group stages in 2015. Ivory Coast didn’t take part in 2015 and left the group stages in 2011.
If Egypt is going to put the past two editions into consideration, then Nigeria and South Africa have the upper hand. However, it’s very difficult to predict the four teams that will qualify to the semi-finals as the tournament is played every four years so a lot of changes take place regarding each team. Egypt should be powered by the support of its fans as it tries to win its first U-23 Africa Cup of Nations. Coach Shawki Gharib has picked a very strong and promising squad captained by Ahly’s mega star Ramadan Sobhi.
Goalkeepers: Omar Radwan (Gouna), Omar Salah (Smouha), Mohamed Sobhi (Zamalek), Mustafa Shobeir (Ahly).
Defenders: Osama Galal (ENPPI), Mahmoud Marei (Wadi Degla), Ahmed Ramadan (Wadi Degla), Mahmoud Al-Gazzar (Gouna), Mohamed Abdel-Salam (Zamalek), Mohamed Sadek (Ismaili), Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh (Smouha), Karim Al-Eraki (Masri), Ahmed Ayman (Ismaili).
Midfielders: Akram Tawfik (Gouna), Ammar Hamdi (Ahly), Wagih Abdel-Hakim (Ismaili), Nasser Maher (Smouha), Ghanam Mohamed (Entag Al-Harbi), Fawzi Al-Hennawi (Smouha), Taher Mohamed Taher (Arab Contractors).
Forwards: Ramadan Sobhi (Ahly SC), Emam Ashour (Zamalek), Abdel-Rahman Magdi (Ismaili), Mustafa Mohamed (Zamalek), Salah Mohsen (Ahly), Ahmed Yasser Rayan (Al-Gouna), Nasser Mansi (Gaish).
Leaving the U-23 side and moving to the senior national team, Egypt’s new manager Hossam Al-Badri has picked his very first squad for the friendly game against Botswana.
Goalkeepers: Mohamed Al-Shennawi (Ahly), Mohamed Awwad (Zamalek), Mohamed Bassam (Talaea Al-Gaish).
Defenders: Ragab Bakar (Pyramids FC), Ahmed Fathi, Ayman Ashraf (Ahly), Ahmed Hegazi (West Brom), Baher Al-Mohamadi (Ismaili), Mahmoud Alaa, Abdullah Gomaa (Zamalek), Mohamed Hamdi (Pyramids FC).
Midfielders: Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Mohamed Elnenni (Besiktas), Amr Al-Solaya, Hamdi Fathi, Mohamed Magdi ‘Afsha’, Hussein Al-Shahat (Ahly), Abdullah Al-Said, Omar Gaber, (Pyramids FC), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Aston Villa).
Strikers: Hossam Hassan (Smouha), Omar Al-Said (Zamalek), Ahmed Hassan ‘Kouka’ (Sporting Braga).
Egypt is trying to pick itself up after disastrous showing in last year’s World Cup in Russia and this summer’s Africa Cup of Nations that Egypt hosted.
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