Pyramids players excluded from Egypt’s second team coach Helmy Toulan turns to Ceramica duo

Pyramids FC has refused to release its players for Egypt’s secondary national team, which is set to compete in the Arab Cup in Qatar this December.

Coach Helmy Toulan had initially called up four Pyramids players, but the club declined, citing unresolved club scheduling issues, the league did not postpone their fixtures against Kahrabaa Ismailia and Petrojet as requested.

This decision was reinforced after discussions between Pyramids officials and the national team staff, although coach Krunoslav Jurcic was open to letting his players join after their African Champions League match, provided domestic league games were postponed. With no agreement reached, Pyramids opted to keep its squad to avoid player fatigue.

In response, Toulan called up two Ceramica Cleopatra players as replacements, along with Hossam Hassan from Modern Sport. Egypt will play two friendlies against Algeria on November 14 and 17 in Cairo to prepare for the tournament.

Egypt’s group in this year’s Arab Cup features Jordan, the UAE, and the winner of Kuwait versus Mauritania. The Egyptian team hopes to improve on past performances, with the tournament offering a new chance to shine