Egypt name nine foreign-based players for November AFCON qualifiers against Malawi

The Egyptian national team technical staff, led by head coach Hossam Hassan and his assistant Ibrahim Hassan, have reportedly settled on nine foreign-based players to join the squad for their upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Malawi.

The Pharaohs are preparing for their November training camp as they seek to strengthen their position in the qualification race ahead of the two crucial encounters against Malawi.

According to Egyptian media outlet Batolat, a source within the national team’s technical staff has confirmed that nine players currently playing abroad have been selected for the upcoming camp.

The list includes Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, Haitham Hassan, Hamza Abdel Karim, Mohamed Abdel Moneim, Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, Rami Rabia, Hossam Abdel Maguid and Ibrahim Adel.

The inclusion of several established internationals is expected to provide Egypt with additional quality and experience as they pursue maximum points from the two fixtures.

However, midfielder Hamdi Fathi will miss the November camp after sustaining an injury. The source disclosed that the Egyptian Football Association has not sent a formal invitation to his club, effectively ruling him out of the upcoming international assignment.

Meanwhile, the technical team is yet to reach a final decision regarding Omar Fayed, who currently plays for Italian club Frosinone. Discussions are ongoing among the coaching staff over whether the defender should be included in the squad.

Egypt will host Malawi in Cairo on Friday, November 13, before travelling for the return fixture on November 17.

The seven-time African champions currently lead their qualifying group with four points after beginning their campaign with a goalless draw against Angola before securing an emphatic 5-0 victory over South Sudan.

Hassan’s men will be determined to maintain their position at the top of the group and move closer to securing qualification for the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.