Egypt will be looking to secure a spot in the knockout stages against Cape Verde on Monday. Egypt have only managed to score two points from their initial two games in the campaign. The Pharaohs will view this as a must-win matchup, with both of their Group B fixtures starting simultaneously.
Preview (Cape Verde vs. Egypt)
Cape Verde has already had an amazing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, and it is far from finished. At this match’s conclusion, they will advance to the knockout stages. Thanks to a thrilling stoppage-time winner from Ankaragucu forward Gary Rodrigues, the Blue Sharks defeated a sloppy Ghanaian team 2-1 to start their cup campaign in style. Due to their impressive performance last Thursday, when they easily defeated Mozambique 3-0. Cape Verde had a slightly unexpected lead in the group rankings following matchday one.
The team led by Bubista defeated The Mambas in what was only their fourth-ever AFCON triumph. It was also the first time in the team’s history that they had won back-to-back matches. The Blue Sharks will still want to take out a significant opponent in this game even though they may not have as much pressure going into the knockout stages. Egypt, on the other hand, has found it difficult to establish themselves in the competition thus far. This was evident in their opening match last Sunday, where they were drawn 2-2 by Mozambique.
The Pharaohs recorded a 2-2 draw against Ghana in the following game. Many could say that the point they earned was relatively fortunate. The Black Stars’ mistakes considerably influenced the result. It was the first time Egypt had lost its opening two games in this competition since 1992. Before those losses, they had only given up one goal in 11 AFCON games. The Pharaohs are now in a dangerous situation because if they lose here and either Ghana or Mozambique win the second group match, which starts at the same time as this one, they could be eliminated from the competition.
Team News
In his team’s first two games in this competition, Bubista has started with the same lineup, but since his team has already qualified, the Cape Verdean coach might think about giving some of the players who haven’t had much time to shine starts. In that scenario, players like Rodrigues and Gilbertson Tavares, who have appeared off the bench in both of the competition’s games thus far, are among the favorites to start.
The main discussion point for Egypt is the absence of Mohamed Salah, who hurt himself against Ghana in the most recent game and is certain to miss at least the next two games if Egypt advances out of the group. The talisman for Liverpool might be out, and Mostafa Fathi could step in like he did when Salah was substituted in the last game. Trezeguet will also be vying for a starting position following an impressive cameo from the bench the previous time out.
Cape Verde 1-2 Egypt
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