Egypt's final squad for the summer Olympic Games was devoid of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah and Galatasaray striker Mostafa Mohamed, with coach Shawki Gharib naming two defenders and a goalkeeper as his three over-age players on Friday. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) made late desperate attempts to have Salah and Mohamed available for the Olympics but Liverpool and Galatarasaray turned down their requests. Unlike in FIFA tournaments, clubs are not obliged to release their players for Olympic Games. Salah was one of Egypt's stars when they reached the quarters at their last Olympic appearance in 2012 in London. Gharib instead opted to pick two central defenders in Zamalek's Mahmoud El-Wensh and the Jeddah-based Ahmed Hegazy as well as Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawi. El-Shennawi will take part in Ahly's African Champions League final against South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs on 17 July, after which he is scheduled to link up with his Egypt teammates in Tokyo. Egypt's roster also included Pyramids star Ramadan Sobhi, the standout performer in the Pharaohs' U23 African Cup of Nations triumph in 2019, and his club teammate Ibrahim Adel, a promising winger who is excelling in the Egyptian Premier League. In the absence of Galatasaray marksman Mostafa Mohamed, Ceramica Cleopatra's on-loan striker Ahmed Yasser Rayan is expected to spearhead Egypt's attack. Gharib also named Zamalek midfielder Emam Ashour and Ahly's full-back Ahmed Ramadan and winger Taher Mohamed Taher in the squad. Egypt will play in Group C of the Tokyo Games along with heavyweights Spain and Argentina as well as Australia. The full squad: Goalkeepers:Mohamed El-Shennawi (Ahly), Mohamed Sobhi (Ismaily), Mahmoud Gad (Enppi) Defenders:Mahmoud El-Wensh, Ahmed Aboul-Fotouh, Mohamed Abdel-Salam (Zamalek), Ahmed Hegazy (Ittihad, Saudi Arabia), Karim Fouad (Enppi), Ahmed Ramadan (Ahly), Osama Galal (Pyramids), Karim El-Eraqi (Masry) Midfielders:Akram Tawfik, Nasser Maher, Taher Mohamed Taher (Ahly), Ammar Hamdi (Ittihad), Emam Ashour (Zamalek), Ramadan Sobhi, Ibrahim Adel (Pyramids), Abdel-Rahman Magdi (Ismaily) Strikers:Ahmed Yasser Rayan (Ceramica Cleopatra), Salah Mohsen (Ahly), Nasser Mansi (Talae El-Geish) (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
