According to the program announced by coach Rui Vitoria last week, the preparation will be in two phases. The first one will start from 7 to 11 November and the second one from 13 to 18 November.

The Portuguese tactician has included five new faces to his squad including Ahly defender Mahmoud Metwally, Zamalek’s defenders Hossam Abdel-Majid and Amr El-Sisi, and Haras El Hodoud forward Mostafa ‘Ziko’ Abdel-Raouf among his 24 local-based players. 

He is expected to announce his final squad, including the foreign-based players, on 12 November.

Belgium has been placed in Group F that also includes Canada, Croatia and Morocco. 

Egypt preliminary 24-man squad:

Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shennawi (Ahly), Mohamed Awad (Zamalek), Mahmoud Gad (Masry)

Defenders: Omar Gaber, Hossam Abdel-Majid, Abdalla Gomaa (Zamalek), Akram Tawfik, Mahmoud Metwalli (Ahly), Baher El-Mohammady (Ismaily), Mahmoud Alaa (Ittihad of Alexandria), Hussien El-Sayed (Masry).

Midfielders: Hamdi Fathi, Mohamed ‘Afsha’ Magdi, Taher Mohamed Taher, Ahmed Abdel-Kader (Ahly), Emam Ashour, Amr Emad, Ahmed ‘Zizo’ El-Sayed (Zamalek), Mahmoud hamada (Pharco FC), Marwan Atiya (Ittihad of Alexandria), Mostafa Abdel-Raouf (Haras El-Hodoud).

Strikers: Mohamed Sherif (Ahly), Ahmed Yasser Rayan (Ceramica Cleopatra) and Marwan Hamdi (Masry).

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)