Toulan: We Chose Players Who Wanted to Represent Egypt in the Arab Cup

Helmy Toulan, the head coach of the Egyptian national team participating in the Arab Cup, affirmed that the relationship between the coaching staff and the players is "more than excellent, both technically and psychologically." He emphasized that the short preparation period achieved its desired goals before the team's first match against Kuwait.

In statements at the press conference before tomorrow's match against Kuwait, Toulan indicated that the team played strong friendly matches against Tunisia, Morocco, Bahrain, and Algeria, which contributed to good preparation for the tournament.

Toulan revealed the criteria he used to select the squad, saying, "We chose players who have the desire to perform well during the tournament, which we witnessed in the friendly matches, earning praise from the Egyptian public."

The head coach explained that the players' responsiveness was the most prominent factor in overcoming the short preparation period, as he focused on the mental aspect and explained the tactical side in detail.

Toulan praised the leadership role played by senior players like Amr El-Soulia and Mohamed Elneny in supporting the team's formation in just a few days, noting that they helped him understand and support the players.

He continued, "I delivered daily lectures, focusing on the psychological aspect and the importance of each player feeling valued. Amr El-Soulia and Mohamed Elneny helped me understand and support the players, and the relationship between the coaching staff and the players is excellent, both technically and psychologically."

Egypt's second squad for the Arab Cup includes the following players: Goalkeepers: Ali Lotfi, Mohamed Awad, Mohamed Bassam; Defenders: Ahmed Hany, Karim El-Eraky, Hadi Riad, Mahmoud Hamdy “El-Wensh”, Yassin Marei, Ragab Nabil, Yahya Zakaria, Karim Fouad; Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny, Amr El-Solia, Akram Tawfik, Ghanem Mohamed, Mohamed Magdy “Afsha”, Islam Issa, Mohamed Mosaad, Mostafa Saad “Messi”, Mido Gaber; Forwards: Mohamed Sherif, Hossam Hassan, and Marwan Hamdy.