Tokyo Olympics 2020: Egypt Football Team Preview and squad

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Egypt Football Team Preview and squad

Tokyo Olympics 2020: Egypt Football Team Preview and squad

The men’s football games at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 will atlast kickoff from 22nd of July after a year long pause due to the worldwide Covid-19 pandemic and will see the 16 top nations from all the continents fight each other out for the prestigious Gold medal. The teams have been divided into 4 groups of 4 each, from which two would qualify for the knockout rounds from every group and make their way to the finals for a shot at glory.

The Players participating in the Olympics and included on the 22-man squads must less than 23 years age and be born on or after January 1, 1997, with the exception of three overage players for each team.

Egypt Football Team Preview

Egypt

Egypt qualified for the 2020 by winning the CAF U-23 Cup of Nations in 2019 where the Pharoahs defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 after extra-time in the final to clinch the trophy as well as the qualification berth.

Prolific Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, was initially expected to be one of Egypt’s three over-aged players for Tokyo Olympics in 2020, which had to be postponed due to covid pandemic and thereafter has been decided to left out form the 22-man squad for the Olympics, after Liverpool’s reluctance to release their star player as the 2021-22 Premier League season begins exactly a week after the gold medal Olympic final on August 7th.

Other prominent players to miss out of Egypt’s Olympic squad are Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny and Mostafa Mohamed of Galatasaray.

In Mohamed Salah’s absence, the three over-aged players named in Egypt’s 22-man Olympic quad include goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy, former West Brom defender Ahmed Hegazy and Mahmoud Hamdy. Stoke City winger Ramadan Sobhi will definitely be the one to look out for in the absence of any star player for Egypt.

Egypt Fixtures

Egypt face a tough task in their group
FixtureVenue Date
Egypt vs SpainSapporo DomeJuly 22
Egypt vs ArgentinaSapporo DomeJuly 25
Egypt vs AustraliaMiyagi StadiumJuly 28

Egypt are drawn into a tough Group C along with Spain, Argentina, and Australia. They will be beginning their campaign in Tokyo with against European champions Spain on July 22 at the Sapporo Dome Stadium followed by a match against heavyweights Argentina at the same venue on 25th.

Egypt will be concluding their group-stage with a clash against Australia at the Miyagi Stadium on 28th.

Egypt Squad

Egypt Squad

Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy*, Mohamed Sobhy, Mahmoud Gad.

Defenders: Ahmed Hegazi*, Mahmoud Hamdy, Mohamed Abdel Salam, Osama Galal, Ahmed Ramadan, Karim El-Eraky, Karim Fouad, Ahmed Abou El Fotouh.

Midfielders: Akram Tawfik, Amar Hamdy, Nasser Maher, Emam Ashour.

Forwards: Ramadan Sobhi, Ibrahim Adel, Abdel Rahman Magdy, Taher Mohamed, Salah Mohsen, Nasser Mansi, Ahmed Yasser.

Also Read: Tokyo Olympics 2020: Germany Football team Preview and squad