The 33-year-old stopper revealed that his new club Genclerbirligi asked him to give up the tournament for the team's sake, which he promised to do.

"I have just joined Gencler, and they said that I would only sign the deal if I promised to pull out of the Egypt squad," he told FilGoal.com.

"I agreed because I know that my chances of being selected for Egypt are rare."

Al-Saqqa, who will be eligible to play for Gencler by next January, has not been recalled by Egypt since the 1-1 friendly draw at Kuwait in May.

"I was surprised by the recent Egypt recall for the competition's preliminary squad, but I have already made my decision," added Al-Saqqa.

Al-Saqqa has played every single minute during Egypt's 2006 African triumph on home soil.