CAIRO — Egypt’s national team has wrapped up preparations for their home clash against Botswana in the final round of the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, set to kick off at 5:00pm Cairo local time on Tuesday.
The Pharaohs will be missing 10 players due to injuries, suspensions, or being rested. Notable absentees include Mohamed Salah, goalkeeper Mohamed el-Shenawy, Mohamed Shahata, Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’, Yasser Ibrahim, and Hamdi Fathy.
Egypt secured their spot in the 2025 AFCON in Morocco during the fourth round with an impressive away win against Mauritania. However, in the fifth round on Friday, the seven-time African champions were held to a 1-1 draw away against Cape Verde.
The Pharaohs currently lead Group C with 13 points, while Botswana follows in second place with 7 points.
Elsewhere, Algeria dismantled Liberia 5-1 to end their campaign unbeaten, while Togo claimed a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Equatorial Guinea in Lome.
Already assured of first place in Group E, Algeria showed no signs of complacency at the Ahmed Stadium.
The Fennecs, unbeaten in their last 19 AFCON qualifiers, extended their streak with a commanding display that further underscored their dominance.
Liberia stunned the home crowd early with a sixth-minute goal from Sampson Dweh, but Algeria responded swiftly.
Aïssa Mandi equalized in the 20th minute before Riyad Mahrez gave the hosts the lead with a deft header in the 29th minute.
The second half belonged entirely to Algeria, as Baghdad Bounedjah, Amine Gouiri, and Mohammed Amoura all found the net to complete the rout.
Gouiri’s goal—a sublime finish to the bottom left corner—stood out as one of the match’s highlights.
Algeria finished the group stage with 16 points, scoring 16 goals and conceding just two.
Their unbeaten run and defensive solidity further cement their status as one of the favorites heading into Morocco 2025.
In Lome, Togo ended their qualifying campaign with a resounding 3-0 victory over second-placed Equatorial Guinea.
Despite being eliminated from the tournament, the Sparrowhawks showed resilience, snapping a three-game losing streak in CAF AFCON qualifiers.
Yaw Annor opened the scoring in the 14th minute, while Kevin Denkey doubled the lead early in the second half with a stunning long-range strike.
Annor capped off a brilliant individual performance with his second goal in the 87th minute, cafonline.com reported.
For Equatorial Guinea, the defeat had no bearing on their qualification for AFCON 2025, as they had already secured their spot.
However, the loss ended their 10-game unbeaten run in qualifiers, exposing vulnerabilities that may require attention ahead of the tournament.
Guinea, also, edged closer to securing a spot in the 2025 CAF AFCON with a dramatic 1-0 victory over group leaders DR Congo in Abidjan.
Serhou Guirassy’s stoppage-time strike sealed all three points, setting up a high-stakes finale against Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.
The match began at a cautious pace, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances.
DR Congo, already assured of qualification, showed glimpses of their quality but lacked sharpness in the final third.
Guinea, on the other hand, dominated possession but failed to capitalize on opportunities in the first half.
Guirassy came closest to breaking the deadlock before halftime, but his header was saved by Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi.
The Syli National kept the pressure on, but the Congolese defense, led by captain Chancel Mbemba, held firm.
The second half saw an increase in intensity, with both teams pushing for a breakthrough.
Fiston Mayele’s header for DR Congo narrowly missed the target, while Guinea’s Aliou Balde and Abdoulaye Touré saw their efforts blocked.
As the match edged into stoppage time, it looked destined to end in a stalemate.
However, Issiaga Sylla’s pinpoint cross found Guirassy, who rifled a right-footed shot into the top corner, sending the home crowd into raptures.
