Egypt name Hossam Salama ‘Paulo’ and Ahmed Timsah in beach soccer squad for 2026 African qualifiers

Egypt beach soccer head coach Ahmed Abdel Razek has named his squad for the qualifying competition for the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations, which will be held in Senegal.

The squad includes former Egypt internationals Hossam Salama, known as “Paulo”, and Ahmed Timsah, as Egypt begin preparations for their two-legged qualifying tie.

Egypt will face the winner of the contest between Mauritius and Angola. The first leg is scheduled to take place between 9 and 11 October 2026, with the return match set for between 16 and 18 October.

Abdel Razek has selected five goalkeepers for the squad: Abdelaziz El Sabah, Ibrahim Hassan, Mohamed Sayed, Mostafa Abdo and Mohamed Fawzi.

The outfield players named are Hassan Mohamed, Haitham Atef, Mostafa Ahmed, Ahmed Shehat, Abdelkader Qadoura, Karim Sayed, Mohamed Abdelnabi, Abdelrahman Shafey, Ismail Bahgat, Hossam Salama “Paulo”, Ahmed Timsah, Abdelrahman Abdelaty, El-Husseiny Taha, Mostafa Ali, Mohamed Sayed Sonara, Abdelrahman Hamido and Karim Shehata.

The selection of Paulo and Timsah is the most notable feature of the squad announcement, with both players returning to the Egypt setup after previously representing the national team.

Egypt’s qualifying route will be determined by the outcome of the Mauritius-Angola tie. The winner of that match will meet Egypt across the two October fixtures, with the opening game taking place from 9 to 11 October and the second leg following between 16 and 18 October.

The 2026 Africa Cup of Nations finals are scheduled to be staged in Senegal. Egypt’s squad contains a combination of goalkeeping options and outfield players, including Paulo and Timsah, as the team prepares for its qualifying assignment.

Goalkeepers Abdelaziz El Sabah, Ibrahim Hassan, Mohamed Sayed, Mostafa Abdo and Mohamed Fawzi have all been included. The remaining places have gone to Hassan Mohamed, Haitham Atef, Mostafa Ahmed, Ahmed Shehat, Abdelkader Qadoura, Karim Sayed, Mohamed Abdelnabi, Abdelrahman Shafey, Ismail Bahgat, Hossam Salama “Paulo”, Ahmed Timsah, Abdelrahman Abdelaty, El-Husseiny Taha, Mostafa Ali, Mohamed Sayed Sonara, Abdelrahman Hamido and Karim Shehata.

Egypt will therefore wait for the result between Mauritius and Angola before learning the identity of their qualifying opponents. The two matches against that winner will be played in October 2026, ahead of the tournament in Senegal.