Egypt’s Daoud delighted to be called up for AFCON

Marwan Daoud

was included in the first 40-man list that

Carlos Queiroz

released after the Arab Cup. However, for the 28-man squad, he was excluded.

The Egyptian left-back did not even make it to the three players reserves list a week before the

.

However, according to

’s medical staff, some players and staff members tested positive for Covid-19, like Pyramids FC winger

Ibrahim Adel

, who was included on the reserves list.

Mohamed Hamdi has also sustained a knee injury, resulting in his removal from the three-man list. The Egypt manager then decided to replace him with 24-year-old Daoud. The player was surprised to be called up and so were the fans, given the fact that he did not have any prior international experience before the Arab Cup.

“

I don’t know what to say, I didn’t feel that it was possible for me to get the call-up to the Egyptian national team, I didn’t expect it,”

Daoud

ONTime Sport TV 2

.

“After Mohamed Hamdi got injured, one of the national team officials called me and told me to get ready to travel tomorrow with the national team.

“I prepared my bags in seconds.

“When I was playing at Al Shams SC, I told my friends that if I played in the Egyptian Premier League, I would join the national team, but I didn’t expect things to go this quickly.

“I don’t know how to describe my feelings, where I was four months and where I am now, this is all thanks to god’s grace.

“Queiroz used to tell me that I’m a great player and that I must always bring out my best, and he always encouraged us.

“I have no problem playing any position with the national team. I previously played as a right centre midfielder, in addition to left back.

“I previously scored a similar goal to the one against Jordan in the Arab Cup, when I played in Al Ahly’s academy,”

he concluded.

Daoud featured in two matches with the Pharaohs – the battles against

and Jordan in the Arab Cup – and met the back of the net in the quarter-final clash against the latter.

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