Emam Ashour (L), Tarek Hamed (M) and Hussien El-Shahat (R)
The players, Tarek Hamed, Emam Ashour, and Hussien El-Shahat, have been dropped due to their behaviour during the ongoing training camp, according to a statement released by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) on Friday.
“This decision was made as a result of their failure to adhere to the system and internal rules of the national team," the EFA stated.
In the second round of Group A of the African 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Egypt is set to face Sierra Leone in Liberia on Sunday.
In their opening qualifier match, Egypt dominated Djibouti with a resounding 6-0 victory at Cairo International Stadium on Thursday, with Liverpool star Mohamed Salah shining with four goals.
The trio of expelled players, however, did not participate in the game against Djibouti and remained on the bench.
Reports from the Egyptian media suggested that Coach Vitoria organized a training session for the players who did not feature in the Djibouti clash.
During this session, the trio displayed a lack of commitment, prompting the Portuguese coach to exclude them from the trip to Liberia.
With their sights set on securing a fourth World Cup appearance, the Pharaohs are determined to give outstanding performances in the qualifiers.
Egypt finds itself grouped with Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Ethiopia, and Djibouti for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Under Vitoria's leadership, Egypt has already secured a place in the 2023 AFCON, which is scheduled to take place in Cote d'Ivoire in January 2024.
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