Egyptian Pharaohs Face Must-Win Double Header Against Botswana in AFCON 2015 Qualifiers
Like Togo, Egypt finds itself in a precarious position in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers after a disastrous start. With two straight losses — to Senegal (in Dakar) and Tunisia (in Cairo) — the seven-time African champions are in danger of missing out on the final tournament in Morocco.
Do-or-Die Against Botswana
The Pharaohs now face a critical double-header against Botswana on Matchdays 3 and 4. Failure to collect at least four points could effectively end Egypt’s hopes of qualifying.
Squad Details
Head coach Shawky Gharib has called up 25 players, including five foreign-based professionals. However, injuries have disrupted his plans:
Injured and Missing
-
Ahmed Elmohamady (Hull City): Back injury
-
Hazem Emam (Zamalek): Out
-
Hany El-Egeizy (Smouha): Out
-
Sherif Ekramy (Ahly): Injured goalkeeper, replaced by Amir Abdel-Hamid
🇪🇬 Egypt Squad Breakdown
🧤 Goalkeepers
-
Ahmed El-Shenawy (Zamalek)
-
Amir Abdel-Hamid (Wadi Degla)
-
Sherif Ekramy (Ahly) – Injured
🛡️ Defenders
-
Mohamed Naguib (Ahly)
-
Saad Samir (Ahly)
-
Sabri Rahil (Ahly)
-
Ali Gabr (Zamalek)
-
Shawky El-Saied (Ismaily)
-
Hazem Emam (Zamalek) – Injured
⚙️ Midfielders
-
Ayman Hefny (Zamalek)
-
Ibrahim Salah (Zamalek)
-
Hossam Ghaly (Ahly)
-
Walid Soliman (Ahly)
-
Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (Al Ahly Jeddah, Saudi Arabia)
-
Ibrahim Abdel-Khaleq (Smouha)
-
Amr Solaya (Ismaily)
-
Ahmed Hamoudy (Smouha)
-
Mohamed Elneny (FC Basel, Switzerland)
-
Ahmed Fathi (Umm Salal, Qatar)
-
Saleh Gomaa (Nacional, Portugal)
⚔️ Forwards
-
Khaled Qamar (Zamalek)
-
Amr Gamal (Ahly)
-
Hany El-Egeizy (Smouha) – Injured
-
Mohamed Salah (Chelsea, England)
Stakes High in Gaborone and Cairo
With Botswana also winless, both sides are desperate for points. Egypt’s legacy and pride are on the line — and anything less than two wins may doom their campaign.
Key Player to Watch:
🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah – The Chelsea winger is under pressure to lead by example and deliver the spark Egypt desperately needs.
The Pharaohs will first travel to Gaborone (October 10), then host Botswana on October 15, with their AFCON hopes hanging in the balance.
