Mohamed Salah to captain Egypt in preliminary 27-man World Cup squad
Mohamed Salah has been named captain of Egypt’s preliminary 27-man squad for this summer’s World Cup in North America.
The 33-year-old attacker will lead his nation after a remarkable nine-year tenure at Liverpool concludes at the end of the current season.
He approaches the prestigious tournament boasting an exceptional international record, having netted 67 goals in 115 appearances for the Pharaohs.
Youth and experience combined
Head coach Hossam Hassan has elected to include uncapped 18-year-old prodigy Hamza Abdelkarim, who currently features for Barcelona Under-19s.
Manchester City winger Omar Marmoush is also selected to bolster the attacking options for the African side.
However, Nantes forward Mostafa Mohamed has been surprisingly omitted from the initial selection.
Hassan must trim his roster by one player to meet the strict Fifa-mandated 26-man limit.
Crucial preparation fixtures
The final squad cut will occur following a warm-up friendly against Russia in Cairo on 28 May.
The North African nation will then travel to the United States to face Brazil in a high-profile Cleveland exhibition on 6 June.
Egypt are drawn into Group G for the expanded 48-team competition hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Their group stage campaign begins against Belgium on 15 June, followed by pivotal clashes with New Zealand and Iran.
Full preliminary squad
- Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy, Mostafa Shobeir, El Mahdi Soliman, Mohamed Alaa.
- Defenders: Mohamed Hany, Tarek Alaa, Hamdy Fathy, Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Mohamed Abdelmonemn, Ahmed Fatouh, Karim Hafez.
- Midfielders: Marwan Ateya, Mohanad Lasheen, Nabil Emad, Mahmoud Saber, Ahmed Zizo, Emam Ashour, Mostafa Ziko, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Ibrahim Adel, Haissem Hassan.
- Forwards: Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Salah, Aqtay Abdallah, Hamza Abdelkarim.