Midfielder Hossam Ghaly and defender Amir Azmi have been ruled out of the Egyptian squad that will face Sweden in an international friendly in Cairo on Wednesday. Egypt coach Hassan Shehata said that both Ghaly and Azmi sustained injuries in the build up for Wednesday's game, which is part of CAF's 50th anniversary celebrations. Tottenham's Ghaly suffered from a groin injury while Azmi, who just joined Saudi champions Al-Shabab, sustained a bruise in his left knee. The Pharaohs concluded their preparations with a training session on Tuesday afternoon.
Egypt's coach Hassan Shehata Shehata is set to announce the 18-man squad only a few hours before the game, which he described as “very important” for the national team. “We are trying to pump new blood in the team and create some harmony before the 2008 African Cup of Nations qualifiers resume next month,” said Shehata. Egypt's last international friendly was against South Africa last November. It ended in a 1-0 victory for the reigning African champions.
