Ismaili full-back Ahmed Samir Farag has joined Hassan Shehata's critics as he questioned the Egypt coach's decision to exclude him from his African Cup of Nations squad. The Dervishes left-back was surprisingly omitted from Egypt's final list, making way for Zamalek's Mohamed Abdul-Shafi, who was chosen as backup for Sayed Moawad. But Farag did not swallow Shehata's decision to give Abdul-Shafi the nod at his own expense in last week's warm-up game with Malawi. "I wonder on what basis does the manager make his choices?" the former Sochaux defender told reporters. "I wasn't given the chance to prove myself in the Malawi game, while Abdul-Shafi played and was accordingly selected." Paying the Price Farag, who was a member of Egypt's squad in the 2009 Confederations Cup, believes that playing for Ismaili hinders his national team chances. "I think that Ahli and Zamalek are always under the spotlight. Where is Ahmed Sedik, Abdullah Al-Saied, Mohamed Hommos and other Ismaili players?" the ex-Ahli man added. "I believe that we are paying the price of our loyalty to Ismaili." Goalkeeper Essam Al-Hadari and backup defender Moatassem Salem were the only players from Ismaili in Shehata's roster for the Angola finals.
