Mohamed El-Shenawy announces his retirement from international football after being excluded from Egypt's squad.
A source close to Mohamed El Shenawy, the goalkeeper for Al Ahly, has reported that he does not intend to retire from international duty despite being excluded from Egypt's squad for the matches against Angola and South Sudan in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The source confirmed that Mohamed El Shenawy is focusing on preparing for his return to the Egyptian national team in the near future.
The current Egyptian national team roster includes four goalkeepers: Mostafa Shobeir, Mohamed El Sayed, Mohamed Alaa, and Abdel Aziz Belahouti.
Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen, Hamza Abdel Karim, and Omar Fayad Join Egypt's Training Camp
On another note, Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Rami Rabia, Hamza Abdel Karim, and Omar Fayad have joined the national team’s current training camp at the National Teams Center, in preparation for the matches against Angola and South Sudan in the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
Match Dates for Egypt Against Angola and South Sudan
The Egyptian national team, under the leadership of Hossam Hassan, continues its preparations for the matches against Angola and South Sudan, scheduled for September 25 and 29 as part of the first and second rounds of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, followed by a friendly match against South Africa on October 4.
Egypt will face Angola at 10 PM on Friday, September 25, 2026, at Cairo International Stadium, in the first round of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The match holds special significance for the coaching staff led by Hossam Hassan, as it marks the Pharaohs' start in the qualifiers, with the team aiming to leverage home advantage to secure a victory and earn their first three points in the group.
Then, Egypt will visit South Sudan in the second round on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, at 3 PM Cairo time, at Juba Stadium in South Sudan.
The match against South Sudan represents the second test for the Pharaohs during the international break, as the team plays this match away just four days after facing Angola in Cairo.
Egypt will continue its qualifying campaign with home and away matches against Malawi from November 9 to 17, 2026, before concluding its qualifying journey in March 2027 with matches against South Sudan and Angola.
The finals of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations will take place in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, from June 19 to July 17, 2027, with participating teams in the qualifiers divided into groups, from which the top two teams will qualify for the finals.
