Shehata also decided to limit visitation to the players and stop fans from attending practice sessions in the camp held in the Air Defense center to allow more concentration ahead of the tournament.

Egypt begin their African campaign by facing Libya on Friday in the opening match of their Group A that also includes Morocco and Ivory Coast.

A tense atmosphere surrounded the Egyptian camp following Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to South Africa in the final warm up for the African Cup of Nations.

Egypt’s players were overtaken by anxiety after the disappointing defeat that left them facing a wave of criticism from both the media and fans.

Captain Hossam Hassan will return to training after recovering from the injury that sidelined him for the South Africa match.