Egypt coach Hossam El-Badry has decided to exclude Pyramids FC players for not showing up at the team's training camp ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya and Comoros on 14 and 18 November respectively. "Coach Hossam El Badry has decided to call up Ayman Ashraf of Ahly and Karim Tarek of Talae El-Gaish to the national team's training camp at Borg El Arab after Pyramids FC apologised for not releasing their players on time like all the other clubs," a statement by the Egyptian FA read. The Pharaohs started on Tuesday their preparations for the African qualifiers but Pyramids players were not present after the club objected to what it called the "lack of coordination" between both managements. Pyramids said on Monday they won't release their players until 72 hours before the game against Kenya as per FIFA regulations, adding that they have not been notified by the national team's selections like the other clubs. However, Pyramids reversed their decision on Tuesday, saying that the players will be present at Egypt's training camp on Wednesday "even though the club would be harmed." "The players will not have enough rest like other league teams, who have been on holidays since mid September while we were playing in the African Confederation Cup on weekends," Pyramids said. However, El-Badry decided to take rough stand by excluding Pyramids players just a few hours later. For his first official game since taking charge of Egypt in September, El Badry had named an initial 32-man list for the two qualifiers. Seven players from Pyramids FC were included in the squad: defenders Ahmed Ayman Mansour, Omar Gaber, Ragab Bakkar and Mohamed Hamdi, midfielder Abdallah El Said and forwards Islam Eissa and Mohamed Farouk. Egypt are set to play a warm-up game against Liberia on Thursday. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
