Egypt draw up preliminary list of 40 players for Kenya and Comoros AFCON qualifiers

The qualifying matches against Kenya and Comoros will take place next month

The Egyptian national team coaching staff, led by Hossam El-Badry, have settled on a list of 40 players from which they can make selections for the upcoming 2021 African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya and Comoros.

"This number came as a result of Hossam El-Badry and his assistants monitoring all the local games, in addition to every match abroad that included an Egyptian footballer," national team director Mohamed Barakat said in a statement published on the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) Facebook page on Tuesday.

"We are preparing the paperwork now for the chosen players to get each one of them ready, as soon as the coaching staff draws up the final players' list for the Kenya and Comoros matches," he added.

Barakat, a former Ahly and national team star, said that he is seeking to create a healthy environment for the coaching staff and finalise all the administrative work related to the national team camp for the Kenya game and Comoros trip.

The Pharaohs are hosting Kenya on 14 November, then flying to face Comoros on 18 November.

The preparatory camp will start on 28 October after the league suspension ahead of the Africa U-23 Cup of Nations - the tournament which qualifies teams for the 2020 Olympics - hosted by Egypt from 8 to 22 November.

Newly appointed El-Badry has led Egypt for one friendly match against Botswana which ended in a 1-0 victory for the Pharaohs.