The Pharaohs have qualified to the third stage of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, before the end of the group stage, to secure their seat in the playoffs, which will be played in the home and away form against another group leader.

“It is not about how we start, it is about how we finish. Now we can't waste the opportunity of being very well prepared in March. Our World Cup is in March. Preparation for the playoff should be the Number 1 priority for Egyptian football,” the 68-year-old Portuguese coach wrote on his official Twitter account on Monday.

Egypt, who are leading their Group F with 11 points, will host Gabon on Tuesday in the final round of the group stage. 

The Pharaohs have already secured their passage to the final qualifying round but they failed to impress during their groupstage campaign. 

Queiroz, who has been appointed last September, hopes to get more preparation time with the team to make his impact. 

Egypt will play in the FIFA Arab Cup next month before playing the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in January 2022.

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