Egypt coach Hector Cuper has maintained a stable lineup over the past few months but he will face some tricky choices on Sunday against Congo in their 2018 World Cup qualifying Group E opener. Adopting a 4-2-3-1 scheme, Cuper is facing a dilemma in the left wing position over whether to field gifted playmaker Ramadan Sobhi or midfield workhorse Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan. Sobhi, 19, is the hottest prospect in Egyptian football and has made it to the starting 11 after leading Egypt to the finals of the 2017 African Cup of Nations after scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory over Nigeria last February. A trickster with pace, the Stoke city winger uses his natural strong physique to skip past defenders in one-on-ones, making him one of Egypt's deadliest weapons. However, the former Ahly player has only played a few minutes since moving to the Premier League last summer and was consequently relegated to the bench, with Cuper preferring to play Trezeguet instead. Trezeguet avoided the fate of Sobhi, having chosen football over fame after opting to leave Anderlecht last month to join minnows Royal Excel Mouscron on a season-long deal to have regular football. "I came to Europe to improve my career but actually I didn't find the chance to play regularly (at Anderlecht). I want to play to save my place in Egypt national team squad as I want to win the African Nations Cup title next February," Trezeguet told Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure after completing the move. Cuper has made him his number one choice during the recent friendly games against Guinea and South Africa. He scored Egypt's sole goal against Guinea in a 1-1 draw, showing great stamina and providing an important support to the defence when losing the ball. Cuper may opt for a cautious approach in order not to allow Congo to exploit the gaps left by Sobhi's darting runs upfront. However, the Stoke City man will still be a key member even if he starts on the bench. He is an option that can be used by the coach to change the course of any game, given his ability to drift inside from any angle and round any defender in one-on-one situations. The other position that Cuper seems uncertain about is the right-back. Three natural full-backs have been included in Egypt's squad: Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Fathi and Omar Gaber. Elmohamady, 29, and Gaber, 24, are producing constant solid performances at Hull City and Basel FC respectively, making marauding runs down the right flank. Fathi, 31, is more experienced, having made over 100 caps for Egypt since 2002. The versatile Ahly defender is a tireless right-back who is particularly adept in carrying out his defensive duties. However, his attacking skills remain questionable as he lacks precision in his crosses. But he might be a logical choice for Cuper if he wants to close down spaces at the back and relieve right winger and talisman Mohamed Salah of some defensive duties. Probable lineup (4-2-3-1): Ahmed El-Shennawi – Ahmed Fathi, Ali Gabr, Ahmed Hegazy, Mohamed Abdel-Shafi – Mohamed Elneny, Ibrahim Salah – Mohamed Salah, Abdallah El-Said, Mahmoud "Trezeguet" Hassan – Bassem Morsi. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
