Hector Cuper is ready to play against Portugal

CAIRO – 22 March 2018: Argentinean Hector Cuper, the managing coach of the Egyptian national team, the Pharaohs, held more than one session with the players before Portugal’s friendly game that is set to be held on Friday at 09:45 p.m. (CLT) in Switzerland. The sessions have witnessed the Pharaohs' plan in the match against Portugal in preparation for the World Cup, after watching more than one video of the opposing team.

Cuper will count on the same tactics that led Egypt to qualify to the World Cup despite facing 2016 EURO Champions, Portugal and their biggest star, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cuper said he doesn’t prefer playing against Ronaldo in a man-to-man game, as in assigning one defender to block Ronaldo, but through the way the team played as a whole, with West Bromwich Albion’s defender Ahmed Hegazi taking charge of Ronaldo when he reaches the last quarter of the Pharaohs' area.

In his plan, Cuper focused on the necessity of approaching the Pharaohs in the game and not giving Portugal the opportunity to create spaces inside the field. He called for narrowing the area with the assistance of the midfielder Mohamed El Nenny who will be playing a role in helping the defense reduce Ronaldo's attacking opportunities.

Despite Cuper's comments, there are voices within the national team suggesting that a specific player be allowed to watch Ronaldo and the stronger candidate is Al-Ahly’s player Ahmed Fathy “Al-Joker”, who is good at playing in more than one position.

Cuper announced the players that will be joining the national team. He has chosen 17 professional players and 11 national players.

Goalkeepers: Essam el Hadary, Mohamed el- Shenawy, Ahmed el-Shenawy, Mohamed Awad

Defenders: Ahmed Hegazi, Ali Gabr, Saad Samir, Ahmed Fathy, Ayman Ashraf

Midfielders: Mohamed el Nenny, Omar Gaber, Ahmed el Mohamady, Shikabala, Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, Mo’men Zakaria, Amr Warda, Hassam Ashour, Tarek Hamed, Ramadan Sobhi, Mohamed Abdel Shafy, Mahmoud Kahraba, Sam Morsi, Hussein el Shahat.

Forward: Mohamd Salah, Abdullah Said, Marwan Mohsen, Mohamed Magdy, Ahmed Hassan Koka

Egypt Today staff predicts that the national team’s squad list will be as follows:
Goalkeeper: Mohamed el Shenawy

Defenders: Ahmed Hegazi, Ali Gabr, Ahmed Fathy, Mohamed Abdelshafy

Midfielders: Tarek Hamed, Mahmous Hassan Trezeguet, Ramadan Sobhi, Mohamed el Nenny

Forward: Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsin

Further notice, the national team will be playing with a new designed t-shirt for the first time on Friday.