CAIRO: Gamal Hamza was the only absentee as Bundesliga club Mainz kicked-off their preparations for the new season, German papers reported on Sunday.
Some 7,000 supporters gathered at the team s training center on the first day of the preseason camp, where three new players were officially presented.
Filip Trojan, Heinz Muller und Eugen Polanski were greeted by the enthusiastic fans, who are still waiting to watch Hamza in training.
According to German paper Allgemeine Zeitung, the former Zamalek striker is due to arrive in Germany in the next two days.
Hamza, 28, signed a two-year contract with Mainz after his deal with the Cairo giants expired.
The Egyptian international absence didn t affect the optimistic mood in the team, with coach Jorn Andersen upbeat over the upcoming campaign.
It is easier to play in the Bundesliga than the lower divisions, said Andersen, who is the first Norwegian manager ever to work in Germany s top flight.
When you are newly promoted, 17 teams come to play you targeting victory, something that gives us room to play football, he added.
