This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
Published on November 6, 2019, Egypt coach Hossam El-Badry has named veteran defender Ahmed Fathi as team captain ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations game against Kenya.
The Pharaohs will host Harambee Stars in Cairo on November 14, marking the beginning of the campaign for the 2021 edition of the biennial competition.
However, preparations for this match have been overshadowed by media reports suggesting a request by the Egypt FA for Fathi to relinquish the captaincy for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.
"The decision of the armband is the responsibility of the manager. There are no problems between Salah and Fathi. In the end, we decided the armband will go to the oldest player," said El Badry.
According to Fathi's agent Ader Shawky, the right back was asked to leave the armband to Salah, but he turned down the request and expressed his willingness to leave the national team if captaincy was taken off him.
Meanwhile, Kenya has been hit by financial challenges, with Football Kenya Federation (FKF) president Nick Mwendwa announcing he doesn't have the funds yet to prepare the team and fly it to Cairo.
