Egypt hasn't yet settled on its first choice for goalkeeper for the 2017 African Cup of Nations, the Pharaohs' goalkeeping coach Ahmed Nagy revealed hours ahead of the tournament's start in Gabon Saturday. "We haven't chosen our first choice keeper yet," Nagy told ON Sport TV Channel. "Having three excellent and experienced goalkeepers in the current squad gives Egypt a good boost in Gabon," he added. Wadi Degla's veteran keeper Essam El-Hadary, 44, was called up for the prestigious tournament alongside Ahly's keeper Sherif Ekramy, 33, and Zamalek's Ahmed El-Shennawi, 25. El-Hadary won four African titles with Egypt in 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010, while the current edition will be the first major senior competition for both Ekramy and El-Shennawi. The record seven-time African champions Egypt will take on Ghana, Mali and Uganda in Group D of the Nations Cup, which run till 5 February. "Players got more experience through the team's previous strong matches against heavyweights like Ghana and Nigeria. The players also remarkably recognised (coach Hector) Cuper's playing style and that was a key reason in winning recent games," Nagy concluded. After missing the past three editions, Egypt under Argentine coach Hector Cuper reached the cup this year for the first time since winning their seventh title in Angola in 2010. The Egyptian team play Mali in their opening Group D game 17 January. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
