The Egyptian Football Association's board of directors has decided to cancel the Egypt national team’s camp scheduled to take place from June 2 to 10, following recent developments in the local match schedule, notably the postponement of the Egypt Cup final. This decision comes after a thorough review of the national team’s current situation, particularly with the numerous domestic and international commitments of the players.
According to a source within the Egyptian Football Association, the postponement of the Egypt Cup final to either June 5 or 6 has ruled out any possibility of holding the team’s camp during that period. This schedule change means that players participating in the Egypt Cup final, including those from Zamalek and Pyramids, will not be available to join the camp. These key absences, combined with the absence of players from Al Ahly who are heading to the United States to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup, further exacerbate the team’s shortage of available players.
Additionally, some foreign-based players are expected to miss the camp as well, as they will likely be granted a break after their seasons end with their clubs. This widespread absence of key players has caused concern within the national team’s technical staff, who believe that the camp, under these circumstances, would not provide any significant technical benefit. As a result, canceling the camp has been deemed the most logical decision.
There had been ongoing discussions between the national team’s technical staff, led by the Hassan twins, Hossam and Ibrahim, and the Egyptian Football Association officials about the possibility of holding the camp despite these absences. Initially, there was a suggestion to go ahead with the camp and play matches against teams of a lower level, offering a chance for substitute players and those who couldn’t join their clubs’ local matches. However, the postponement of the Egypt Cup final to June, combined with the absence of key players, made it difficult to achieve any benefit from this camp.
Meanwhile, the technical staff continues to explore alternative plans in preparation for the upcoming qualifiers. Although local clubs will be busy with their domestic and international competitions, the Football Association is considering the importance of organizing new camps in the future. These camps will play a crucial role in preparing players for the upcoming challenges, especially in light of the intense preparations for upcoming tournaments.
The period between international breaks, following the cancellation of the June camp, will provide the technical staff with another opportunity to complete their planning. The Egyptian Football Association is looking to regain its full strength for the qualifiers and international tournaments, benefiting from ready-to-play players, particularly given the challenges the team has faced in recent months. These challenges have included changes in the national team’s coaching staff, as well as the difficulty in scheduling fixed dates for camps due to local and international commitments of clubs.
It is expected that the national team’s technical staff will continue to coordinate with local clubs to determine suitable dates for future preparation camps, despite the negative impact of recent local match postponements. Other camps are also expected to be discussed in the upcoming period, taking into consideration the circumstances of both local and foreign players to avoid any absences that could affect performance.
At the same time, local clubs are focusing on completing their current season matches, giving the national team’s technical staff the opportunity to work with available players in any future camps. Although canceling the June camp remains the best decision for now, the coming period will be crucial for gathering key players and preparing them for the upcoming matches.
Officials from the Egyptian Football Association have emphasized the importance of providing a suitable environment for the team in upcoming camps to ensure complete readiness for the qualifiers and future tournaments. Following the cancellation of the camp, clubs are expected to focus on completing their preparations for their local and international challenges, while the Egypt national team remains in a constant state of readiness for the challenges ahead.
