The Pharaohs' squad, however, faces challenges as they are without several key players.

Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed and Eintracht Frankfurt winger Omar Marmoush are sidelined due to injuries sustained during their impressive 3-0 victory over Cape Verde in the initial phase of the qualifiers.

Adding to the absentees, Neom defender Ahmed Hegazi has also been omitted from the squad for the upcoming match against Botswana in the AFCON qualifiers after an argument with the technical staff.

Despite these setbacks, Egypt currently leads Group C with three points following their dominant win against Cape Verde.

They are level on points with Mauritania, who secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Botswana.

Only the top two teams from each of the 12 groups progress to the prestigious tournament that will take place in Morocco.

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