Pyramids Players Snubbed for Egypt's Arab Cup as Tolon Recasts with Ceramica Duo

Background and stance on squad selection

Pyramids FC declined to release its players for Egypt’s second national team, which is preparing for the Arab Cup hosted by Qatar from December 1 to 18. The decision came despite calls from the national team staff and the timing of the competition.

Helmi Tolon, the head coach of the national squad, had named four players from Pyramids: Mahmoud Jad (goalkeeper), Ahmed Sami, Marwan Hamdi, and Ahmed Atef “Qetta.” However, the club stood firm against releasing them, emphasizing concerns over fatigue and calendar congestion.

The club’s decision followed a failure to reach an agreement on whether its players could participate, with the federation’s refusal to postpone two league fixtures—against Electro Shabab (Kafr El-Sheikh) and Petrojet—in December contributing to the stalemate.

Roster adjustments and Arab Cup prep

In response, Pyramids’ leadership held a meeting with the national team staff led by Tolon, while Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurcic indicated openness to having their players join the camp after the Africa Champions League clash on November 30—on the condition that the league matches be postponed, a condition the federation declined.

Rather than risk fatigue, Pyramids opted to release their players from the squad, opting to keep them fresh since they would not feature in the final tournament. As a result, Tolon called in replacements from Ceramica Cleopatra: Ragab Nabil and Karim El Debis, alongside Hosam Hassan from Modern Sporting, to join the current camp as substitutes for the Pyramids players.

The team is preparing for two friendlies against Algeria on November 14 and 17 at Cairo International Stadium, per the Egyptian Football Association’s scheduling, as part of their acclimatization for the Arab Cup.

Current Egypt squad snapshot

Goalkeeping: Mohamed Awwad (Zamalek), Ali Lotfi (ZED), Mohamed Bassam (Ceramica Cleopatra).

Defense: Ahmed Hany (Ceramica Cleopatra) – Karim El Iraqi (Misr El-Makkasa) – Yahya Zakaria (Ghazl El Mahalla) – Karim Fouad (Al Ahly) – Ragab Nabil (Ceramica Cleopatra) – Mahmoud Hamdi “El-Wensh” (Zamalek) – Yassin Mar’i (Al Ahly) – Hadi Riyad (Petrojet) – Omar Fayed (Arouca, Portugal) – Karim El Debis (Ceramica Cleopatra).

Midfield: Amr El-Solia (Ceramica Cleopatra) – Mohamed Elneny (Al Ain/ UAE context) – Akram Tawfik (Al Shamal) – Ahmed Rabei (Zamalek) – Ghanam Mohamed (Modern Sporting) – Mohamed Magdi “Afsha” (Al Ahly) – Mustafa Saad (ZED) – Mohamed Massad (Modern Sporting) – Mustafa Shalabi (Bank Al Ahli) – Islam Issa (Ceramica Cleopatra).

Attack: Mohamed Sherif (Al Ahly) – Ahmed Yasser Rayan (Ceramica Cleopatra) – Hosam Hassan (Modern Sporting).

Egypt’s Arab Cup group

The Egypt team will participate in the Arab Cup in Qatar, in a group that includes Jordan, UAE, and the winner of Kuwait vs Mauritania.

Historical context for Egypt in the tournament

Egypt has competed in the Arab Cup under its modern format for the second time, after finishing fourth in the 2021 edition in Qatar under Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz. Historically, Egypt has taken part in four editions under the old format, including a third-place finish in 1988, a title in 1992, an early exit in 1998, and Olympic-era participation in 2012, with a 2021 run to the semi-finals before finishing third in a shootout with Qatar.

Notes and reflections

As the Arab Cup approaches, the balance between club commitments and national duty remains delicate, with management teams weighing fatigue against opportunity. In the end, the fans win only if their team plays with heart—and a little more humor than usual on the bench.

Punchline 1: If football is a game of inches, imagine how many inches of patience the fans need to wait for a matchday decision. Punchline 2: I asked the squad about the Arab Cup—they said they’ve got plenty of “Arab-itude,” just not enough calendar space for it.