Al-Wasl forward Mahmoud Abdel-Razek 'Shikabala' will join the Pharaohs camp in the UAE after his team's match with Al-Dhafra in the second round of Etisalat Emirates Cup on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old, who joined Al-Wasl on a one-year loan deal from Cairo giants Zamalek this summer, has caught the eye of selectors with some superb performances that have yielded two assists and one goal so far this season

According to the Emaratalyoum website, Al-Wasl's French coach Bruno Metsu has reached an agreement to release the player for national team duty after the cup match.

The Pharaohs will play two friendly games against DR Congo and Tunisia on 12 and 16 October despite speculation that the camp was experiencing problems with sponsors.

Egypt, who won three successive African Cup of Nations trophies (2006, 2008 and 2010), have not qualified for the World Cup since 1990.

Egypt is not slated to play any competitive games until next year, when they host Zimbabwe in their third Group G game in March. Egypt is currently topping the group with six points after two games after beating Mozambique and Guinea.

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