Egypt Under-17s target World Cup progress through Gulf Cup, says Hussein Abdel-Latif

Egypt Under-17s coach Hussein Abdel-Latif says his side are determined to gain the maximum technical benefit from the Gulf Cup as they prepare for next month’s World Cup in Qatar.

The young Pharaohs secured their place in the semi-finals by beating Yemen in their third group match, with one game still to play against Iraq.

“We are seeking to gain the maximum technical benefit from the tournament in every aspect, in order to settle the final squad for the next World Cup in Qatar,” Abdel-Latif said via the Egyptian Football Association website.

Egypt’s team, made up of players born in 2009, held a training session on Saturday evening ahead of their final group fixture.

Abdel-Latif began the session by addressing the players and praising their performance and team spirit during the victory over Yemen.

He also urged them to remain focused on the match against Iraq and to continue their winning run. Victory would guarantee Egypt top spot in the group.

Egypt had already confirmed their progression to the semi-finals after recording wins over Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Yemen.

The coaching staff kept Saturday’s training session light to reduce the risk of fatigue following a demanding run of matches in recent days.

Egypt will face Iraq in the fourth round of group fixtures at 20:00 on Monday at Hamad Al-Kabir Stadium in Doha.