Many coaches rely on establishing a fixed starting line-up to achieve maximum cohesion among players, but this advantage has not been available to Carlos Queiroz, Egypt's manager, during the Africa Cup of Nations due to numerous absences. Since Egypt's opening match in the ongoing tournament in Cameroon, where they lost 1-0 to Nigeria on January 11, up to the upcoming final against Senegal tomorrow, Queiroz has not been able to field the same line-up in two consecutive matches.
In the first match, right-back Akram Tawfik was injured just minutes into the game and will be out for several months due to a torn ACL. Left-back Ahmed Fattouh followed him in the second half due to injury. Both players missed the second round match, where Egypt won 1-0 against Guinea-Bissau, while defender Mahmoud Hamdi (El-Winsh) also suffered an injury during halftime, causing him to miss the conclusion of the group stage.
Against Sudan, Egypt won 1-0, securing their advancement to the Round of 16. However, in the match against Ivory Coast, midfielder Hamdi Fathi and first-choice goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy were both injured, while his substitute, Mohamed Abu Gabal, succeeded in saving a penalty and led his team to the quarter-finals. In the Arab summit against Morocco, main defender Ahmed Hegazy played the first half but left injured, subsequently departing the tournament to travel to Germany for treatment. Goalkeeper Mohamed Abu Gabal also got injured during extra time, but Egypt narrowly secured a 2-1 victory to guarantee a spot in the semi-finals.
Egypt faced a battle against the host nation Cameroon and won on penalties, thanks to the outstanding performance of Abu Gabal returning to the lineup. However, they will lose the services of right-back Omar Kamal due to suspension after receiving a second yellow card, leading Queiroz to search for another player for this position. Midfielder Imam Ashour made his first appearance as a substitute against Cameroon near the end, occupying the right-back position, but it is still uncertain whether he will continue in this role against Senegal, especially with the expected challenge posed by the dangerous Sadio Mane.
Queiroz may consider Ashour and his teammate Ahmed Sayed (Zizo) for the task of facing Senegal's most dangerous players. Regardless of who starts, this will mark the first appearance of a player in Egypt's starting lineup at the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite all these absences, the positive aspect remains that Egypt entered every match in the tournament with the attacking trio of captain Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, and Mostafa Mohamed, and they are also expected to play together against Senegal.
