The Egypt team has called up only two players from Ahly as it seeks to help the Cairo giants prepare for an African Champions League game in Ghana, the national team’s goalkeeping coach said on Wednesday. Ahly will face Berekum Chelsea in Ghana on 19 August, only four days after Egypt play a friendly game against Oman in Muscat.

“Egypt manager Bob Bradley is acting in the interests of Ahly, who should reach the Champions League semi-final if they get a positive result against Chelsea,” Zaki Abdel-Fattah told Reuters Arabic. “Accordingly, he has only called up [defender] Wael Gomaa and [midfielder] Hossam Ashour, neither of whom will be available for Ahly anyway because they are suspended.”

Ahly are on top of the Champions League Group B with a maximum of nine points from three games. TP Mazembe of DR Congo and Chelsea are second and third, respectively – on four points each, while Egypt's Zamalek lie at the bottom with no points.

In the meantime, American coach Bradley is set to announce Egypt’s 18-man squad for the Oman friendly on Thursday. Egypt’s friendly against Oman is their first game since they stunningly failed to qualify for the Nations Cup for the second consecutive time following a 4-3 aggregate defeat by minnows Central Africa.

Bradley was heavily criticised by the local media but the Egyptian Football Association opted to keep him after the Pharaohs made a fine start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, winning their first two games in Group G.

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