Egypt national team head to South Africa for a friendly game

Egypt national team will fly to South Africa on Thursday for a friendly against the Bafana Bafana on 6 September as part of preparations for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers. Last week, the pharaohs held a closed camp for four days in Alexandria before tying Guinea 1-1 in a friendly on Tuesday. Egypt's first match in the qualifiers is set against Congo on 3 October. In late June, World Cup-hungry Egypt were drawn in a tight group at the qualifiers' final round alongside Ghana, Congo and Uganda. Seven-time African champions, Egypt has made only two World Cup appearances, both in Italy in 1934 and 1990. The Egyptian crew included 26-man-squad: Goalkeepers: Essam El-Hadary (Wadi Degla), Ali Lotfi (ENPPI) Defenders: Ahlmed Fathi, Rami Rabia (Ahly), Ahmed Dwidar, Ali Gabr (Zamalek), Hamada Toulba (Masry), Ayman Ashraf (Smouha), Ahmed Elmohamady (Hull City, England), Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (Ahly Jeddah, KSA), Omar Gaber (Basel, Switzerland) Midfielders: Walid Soliman, Abdalla El-Saied (Ahly), Ibrahim Salah, Islam Gamadl, Mostafa Fathi (Zamalek), Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet (Anderlecht, Belgium), Mohamed El-Neny (Arsenal, England), Mohamed Salah (Roma, Italy), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City, England), Sam Morsi (Wigan, England) Strikers: Hossam Paolo (Smouha), Bassem Morsi (Zamalek)