Ex-Man Utd assistant coach set to unleash Liverpool star Mohamed Salah against Nigeria

The Reds striker will lead the Pharaohs' charge for an unprecedented eighth title when the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off next month 

Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz is set to unleash Mohamed Salah against Nigeria and other Group D rivals when the 2021 AFCON kicks off after naming the Liverpool striker in his provisional list.

Salah headlines Queiroz's 40-man provisional list ahead of the biennial competition, which kicks off on January 9 in Cameroon.

The former Manchester United assistant coach will rely heavily on the Liverpool attacker as Egypt hopes to win an unprecedented eighth Afcon title.

The Pharaohs have won the title seven times, but they have not won it since they won their seventh title in Angola in 2010.

However, with arguably the current best player in the world in Salah in their squad, they will feel confident in their chances of ending their wait for an eighth title.

Aside from Salah, other notable names in Egypt's squad include Arsenal's Mohamed Eleny and Aston Villa's Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan.

The Pharaohs begin their AFCON campaign with a clash against Nigeria's Super Eagles on January 9 before rounding up their group stage campaign with matches against Guinea-Bissau and Sudan.

Egypt Provisional Squad for AFCON 2021

Goalkeepers: Mohamed Elshenawy (Al Ahly), Mohamed Bassam (Talaea El Gaish), Mohamed Sobhy (Pharco), Mohamed Abu Gabal (Zamalek), Mahmoud Gad (ENPPI)

Defenders: Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Ahmed Aboul Fotouh (Zamalek), Ahmed Hegazi (Ittihad, Saudi Arabia), Omar Kamal (Future), Ahmed “Beckham” Ramadan (Smouha), Mahmoud Hamdy (Zamalek), Mahmoud Alaa (Zamalek), Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly), Ahmed Yaseen (National Bank), Mohamed Fathalla (Ghazl El-Mahalla), Mohamed Abdel Meneam (Future), Mohamed Hamdy (Pyramids), Akram Tawfeek (Al Ahly), Marwan Dawood (ENPPI).

Midfielders: Amr Elsouleya (Al Ahly), Mostafa Fathy (Zamalek), Mohamed “Afsha” Magdy (Al Ahly), Emam Ashour (Zamalek), Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal, England), Abdullah El-Said (Pyramids), Ramadan Sobhy (Pyramids), Ahmed “Zizo” Sayed (Zamalek), Ibrahim Adel (Pyramids), Ahmed Refaat (Future), Nabil “Donga” Emad (Pyramids), Hamdy Fathy (AlAhly), Mohanad Lasheen (Talaea El Gaish)

Forwards: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool, England), Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan (Aston Villa, England), Mostafa Mohamed (Galatasaray, Turkey), Omar Marmoush (Stuttgart, Germany), Marwan Hamdy (Smouha), Ahmed “Koka” Hassan (Konyaspor, Turkey), Ahmed Yasser Rayan (Altayspor, Turkey), Mohamed Sherif (Al Ahly)