Wael Riad, head coach of Egypt’s 2007-born youth national team, has announced the final squad that will compete in the North African qualifiers for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, as the Young Pharaohs begin their bid to secure a place in the continental tournament.

The qualifiers will be held in Ismailia from September 21 to October 6, 2026, with Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria and Libya taking part. Two teams will qualify for the U20 Africa Cup of Nations, scheduled to be held in Ghana in February 2027.

Riad has selected a 25-player squad for the tournament, including players from several Egyptian clubs as well as three Europe-based professionals.

25 Players Selected

The goalkeeping group includes Zamalek’s Omar Abdel Aziz, Al Ahly’s Eyad Tamer and ENPPI’s Youssef Bashir.

In defence, Egypt have Eyad Medhat of Al Ahly, Mohamed Abdel Basir and Nour Ashraf of ENPPI, Abdullah Badir of Pyramids, Omar El Amin of Modern Sport, Mohamed Awad of ZED, Mohamed Farag of Zamalek, as well as Al Ahly duo Hamza El Degwy and Mohannad El Shamy.

The midfield includes Ismaily’s Mohamed Samir Conta, Al Ahly players Mohamed Raafat, Yassin Atef and Mahmoud Salah, Arab Contractors midfielder Omar Tharwat, ENPPI duo Omar El Ezzab and Anas Roshdy, and Zamalek’s Mohamed Hamed.

The squad also includes two overseas midfielders: Jonas El Mallah of Sweden’s IFK Haninge and Adham Karim of Belgian side RFC Liège.

In attack, Riad selected Mohamed Haitham of Spanish club Racing Santander, Tala’ea El Gaish forward Ali El Garhy, and Al Ahly’s Mohamed Abdel Fattah “Taha”.

Egypt’s squad therefore includes three Europe-based players, with El Mallah playing in Sweden, Karim in Belgium and Haitham in Spain, alongside a large group of players representing Egyptian clubs.

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Road Begins Against Libya

Egypt will begin their qualifying campaign against Libya on September 24 at Suez Canal Authority Stadium in their first match of the competition.

The Young Pharaohs will not play in the second round before returning to action against Tunisia on September 30, also at Suez Canal Authority Stadium.

Egypt will then face one of their biggest tests of the qualifiers when they meet Morocco on October 3 in the fourth round.

Wael Riad’s team will complete their campaign against Algeria on October 6.

Matches will be played at Suez Canal Authority Stadium and Ismailia Stadium, with Egypt looking to take advantage of playing the qualifiers on home soil and secure one of the two available tickets to the U20 Africa Cup of Nations.

However, qualification for the African tournament is only part of the target for this generation.

Four teams from the U20 Africa Cup of Nations will qualify for the next FIFA U20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan in May and June 2027 with 24 teams competing.

Riad and his players will therefore hope that the Ismailia qualifiers are only the first step in a longer journey, starting with qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations before trying to earn a place on the world stage.