Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah is the leading name in Egypt’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations released by the record seven-time titleholder’s Portuguese manager Rui Vitoria on Saturday. Salah will be joined in attack by Al Ahly forward Mahmoud Kahraba.
But out of the running for the January 13-February 11 competition in the Ivory Coast are Abdallah Said, of Egyptian club Pyramids, Mahmoud Hamdy from Zamalek, and Al Ahly duo Hussein El Shahat and Mohamed Magdy.
Egypt were beaten by Senegal in the last Cup of Nations final in 2021 and their last triumph dates back to 2010, so Vitoria was cautious about his side’s prospects. “We will treat each game as a final,” he said of his team who are drawn in Group B with Mozambique, Ghana and Cape Verde.
Egypt squad
Goalkeepers: Mohamed Elshenawy (Al Ahly), Ahmed El-Shenawy (Pyramids), Mohamed Abou Gabal (National Bank of Egypt), Mohamed Sobhi (Zamalek)
Defenders: Ahmed Hegazy (Al Ittihad), Mohamed Abdelmonemem (Al Ahly), Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly), Ali Gabr, Osama Galal, Ahmed Samy, Mohamed Hamdy Sharaf (all Pyramids), Omar Kamal Abdelwahed (Futur), Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek)
Midfielders: Hamdi Fathi (Al Wakrah/QAT), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal/ENG), Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour, Ahmed Nabil Koka (Al Ahly), Ahmed Sayed “Zizou” (Zamalek), Mahmoud Hamada (Al Masry)
Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool/ENG), Mostafa Fathi (Pyramids), Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan (Trabzonspor/TUR), Omar Marmoush (Eintracht Frankfurt/GER), Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes/FRA), Mahmoud Abdel Moneim “Kahraba” (Al Ahly), Ahmed Hassan “Kuka” (Bendikspor/TUR)
Milan’s Bennacer back in Algeria squad
AC Milan midfielder Ismael Bennacer is back in the Algeria squad for next month’s African Nations Cup finals for the first time after undergoing knee surgery in May.
Bennacer returned to league action with Milan earlier this month after nearly seven months recovering from surgery on a cartilage injury to his right knee sustained during last season’s Champions League semi-finals.
The 26-year-old last played for Algeria in the Nations Cup qualifiers in March. Algeria coach Djamel Belmadi also picked Al Ahli forward Riyad Mahrez, Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Rayan Ait Nouri and AS Roma midfielder Houssem Aouar, who has been sidelined due to muscular pain.
West Ham’s winger Said Benrahma, named in Algeria’s preliminary list last week, was dropped from the final 26-man squad announced.
Algeria kick off their Nations Cup finals campaign against Group D opponents Angola on Jan 15 before taking on Burkina Faso and Mauritania.
Algeria SquadGoalkeepers: Anthony Mandrea (SM Caen), Rais Mbolhi(CR Belouizdad), Oussama Benbot (USM Alger)
Defenders: Youcef Atal (Nice), Kevin Guitoun (Metz), Rayan Ait Nouri (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Yasser Larouci (Sheffield United), Aissa Mandi (Villarreal), Mohamed Tougai (Esperance Tunis), Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund), Ahmed Touba (US Lecce), Zineddine Belaid (USM Alger)
Midfielders: Nabil Bentaleb (Lille), Sofiane Feghouli (Fatih Karagumruk), Houssem Aouar (AS Roma), Fares Chaibi (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ramiz Zerrouki (Feyenoord Rotterdam), Hicham Boudaoui (Nice), Ismael Bennacer (AC Milan)
Forwards: Riyad Mahrez (Al Ahli), Adam Ounas (Lille), Mohamed Amoura (Union Saint-Gilloise), Amine Gouiri (Stade Rennais), Youcef Belaili (MC Alger), Baghdad Bounedjah (Al Sadd), Islam Slimani (Coritiba).
