Egypt coach Hector Cuper has called up 17 local based players for the Pharaohs training camp ahead of teams international friendlies against Portugal and Greece.

Pharaohs will play the two friendlies games as part of preparations for their first appearance at the World Cup since 1990, in their training camp in Switzerland, with the first game against Portugal on March 23, four days before playing Greece.

The local based squad is mainly made up of players from the Cairo-based clubs Ahly and Zamalek with only five coming from other clubs.

On the list is Al Ahly striker Marwan Mohsen who makes return to the national team for the first since the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations.

Surprise inclusions is ENPPI midfielder Mohamed Magdy and Al Ahly defender Ayman Ashraf who will wear the red and black jersey for the first time.

Coper has already named a set of 17 foreign-region based players including Mohamed Salah, ageless Essam El-Hadary, Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny and Stoke City’s Ramadan Sobhi who will likely directly fly into the camp.

Egypt are drawn against hosts Russia, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia in the Group A of 2018 World Cup that will be hosted by Russia.

The North Africa nation will kick off their 2018 World Cup campaign against Uruguay at the Ekaterinburg Stadium on June 15.

Egypt’s local-based squad:

Goalkeepers: Ahmed El-Shennawy (Zamalek), Mohamed El-Shennawy (Al Ahly), Mohamed Awad (Ismaily)

Defenders: Ahmed Fathi (Al Ahly), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Saad Samir (Al Ahly)

Midfielders: Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Hossam Ashour (Al Ahly), Mohamed Magdy (ENPPI), Abdallah El-Said (Al Ahly)

Strikers: Marwan Mohsen (Al Ahly)