Egypt’s Khaled El-Darandly Confirms Team Readiness for Brazil Friendly

Khaled El-Darandly, head of the Egyptian national team’s delegation in the United States, confirmed that the team is prepared for their upcoming friendly match against Brazil ahead of the World Cup.

During a phone interview with journalist Medhat Shalaby on the program “Ya Masaa Al-Anwar” aired on MBC Egypt 2, El-Darandly announced that Omar Marmoush arrived in the U.S. approximately 30 minutes ago and is expected to join the team shortly.

The delegation head explained that there was a prior agreement between Marmoush and the coaching staff regarding his wedding date and his arrival at the national team’s camp, assuring that everything proceeded according to plan.

Regarding Mohamed Salah, El-Darandly emphasized that the team captain is participating normally in collective training sessions and will be available for the friendly against Brazil without any issues.

He also revealed a significant public interest in the upcoming match against Brazil, stating that around 40,000 tickets have been sold so far out of 60,000 allocated for the event.

“The ticket prices for Egypt’s matches in the World Cup are relatively high, but we expect a good turnout of Egyptian fans to support the team during the tournament,” he added.

El-Darandly addressed ongoing discussions about the number of delegation members, confirming that there are only 59 individuals in the group, a matter previously discussed. He noted that some members would return to Cairo following the Brazil match.

He pointed out that the extended stay in the U.S. and numerous city transfers necessitated having more assistants and staff. The federation aimed to increase this number by about ten additional individuals to meet operational needs during the tournament.

Board members of the Egyptian Football Association will arrive in America starting June 9 ahead of the tournament at their own expense. He mentioned that there were over 150 empty seats on the flight carrying the delegation.

The time difference between Egypt and the U.S. is seven hours, prompting both technical and administrative staff to travel early to acclimatize before competition begins.

El-Darandly concluded by stating that the organizing company covers all expenses for the team’s stay in America before facing Brazil, as well as costs for a private flight transporting them to Seattle. He expressed hope for impressive results from Egypt during World Cup competitions.