Carlos Queiroz (L) speaks during the news conference (Photo: the Egyptian Football Association s official Facebook page)
The FIFA Arab Cup will run from 30 November to 18 December in Doha. In its opening game, Egypt will play against Lebanon on Wednesday.
"We are ready to deliver our best at the Arab Cup. We want the title, and the tournament will be a chance for the selected players to prove if they are worthy of wearing Egypt’s jersey," Queiroz said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.
Egypt were drawn in Group D of the FIFA Arab Cup alongside Algeria, Sudan, and Lebanon.
"We have new young players who would benefit a lot from this tournament, which is similar to the World Cup," the 68-year-old tactician explained.
"We respect Lebanon's team, and the game will be a strong one. I know them well, as I met them several times during my stint as Iran’s coach, and I have shared my experiences from these previous encounters with my players.”
"I want our players to enjoy the opening game and to also deliver their best," he concluded.
On Saturday, Queiroz said that the tournament in Qatar would be a good test run before the African Cup of Nations in January 2022 and the final stage of the World Cup qualifiers in March.
Last week, Queiroz announced the final 23-man squad for the Arab Cup, which is being treated as a dress rehearsal for next year’s World Cup, which will also be hosted in Qatar.
The Portuguese coach didn’t call any of Egypt’s foreign-based players in the Arab Cup’s squad, as the tournament is outside of the normal international calendar.
The Arab Cup comprises 23 Arab nations, including several North African and Asian heavyweights, such as Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Saudi Arabia.
The nine highest-ranked teams in the Middle East and North Africa were automatically given group-stage spots. They will be joined by the seven winners of the qualifying stage. The top two in each group will advance to the quarterfinals.
Under the guidance of Queiroz, Egypt recently secured a place in the final qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which will be played next March in a two-legged format against another group leader.
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