"My players are ready for the World Cup Qualifiers," says Egypt head coach Aboulkeir
CAIRO (FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers) - Egypt's head coach Amr Aboulkheir insists his 15-player preliminary squad for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers gives him peace of mind.
CAIRO (FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers) - Egypt's head coach Amr Aboulkheir insists his 15-player preliminary squad for the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers gives him peace of mind.
Aboulkheir kept eight players from FIBA AfroBasket 2017 and called up seven-footer Omar Oraby, a former Southern California University standout, who last represented his country at the African Championship two years ago.
The North African are currently in their second week of preparations in Cairo for the four-nation event.
| Egypt preliminary squad for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers | |||
| Ramy Gunady Abdalla | Ibrahim Adelfadeel | Amr Sherif Abdelhalim | Youssef Aboushousha |
| Ahmed Bakr | Karim Eldahshan | Ibrahim Elgammal | Ahmed Elmaragi |
| Moustafa Elmekawi | Ahmed Adel Elsayed | Omar Hesham Hussein | Haytham Khalifa |
| Abdelrahman Mohamed | Eslam Ali Mohamed | Omar Oraby | |
From November 24-26, Egypt will do battle against hosts Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Morocco for the right to finish on top three of Group C of the Qualifiers.
"My players are ready for the World Cup Qualifiers," Aboulkheir said to FIBA.basketball, adding: "They are the most talented we have available right now, and I am sure they will be up for the challenge."
Aboulkheir is seen here during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014
If Egypt finish on top three of the qualifiers in Angola, they will advance to the second round of the qualifiers where 12 African teams - divided into two groups - will play home and away games for the right to secure one of the five tickets in offer for African teams for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.
Under the tutelage of Aboulkheir, Egypt - who enter the upcoming Qualifiers on the back of an Eighth-Place finish at FIBA AfroBasket two months ago - were one of three African nations at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014.
FIBA