Mohamed Salah, in prolific form for Liverpool this season, will lead Egypt against Nigeria next Tuesday in a blockbuster Group D opener at the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Salah leads all scorers in the English Premier League this season with 16 goals, including one in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Sunday, his last match before leaving for the Pharaohs.
The latest edition of the tournament begins on Sunday, January 9 with the final scheduled for February 6.
Although Egypt have won a record seven Cup of Nations titles, they have triumphed only twice in seven clashes with three-time champions Nigeria in the competition ahead of the January 11 showdown.
Here is a spotlight on the four Group D contenders. The group winners and runners-up are assured of last-16 places while the best four third-placed teams from the six groups also qualify.
EGYPT
The Pharaohs’ Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz has backed Aston Villa forward Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan to shine at the African Cup of Nations although he has not played a full senior match since mid-April due to injury.
The 27-year-old was an unused substitute in three Premier League matches during December before coming off the bench for a cameo appearance against Brentford.
“Trezeguet is an experienced and good player,” former Real Madrid manager and twice Manchester United assistant manager Queiroz said according to AFP. “I am sure he will be a key figure for us.”
Unlike most Cameroon-bound teams, Egypt will rely heavily on home-based stars, choosing 19 and only six based abroad, including Salah and Arsenal midfielder Mohamed el-Neny.
NIGERIA
A chaotic build-up for Nigeria has included a change of coaches, the loss of a star forward because they requested his release too late, and the withdrawal of several key players due to Covid and injuries.
German Gernot Rohr was sacked after the Super Eagles scraped into the final round of 2022 World Cup qualifying and Augustine Eguavoen, who played for Nigeria at the 1994 World Cup, has been placed in temporary charge.
He will have to do without in-form Emmanuel Dennis because Premier League club Watford say Nigeria did not alert them in time that they were selecting him, and coronavirus has ruled out another regular scorer, Victor Osimhen of Italian club Napoli.
But Nigeria are never more dangerous than when all seems lost. They possess a squad capable of winning the Cup of Nations, or making a humiliating last-16 exit.
GUINEA-BISSAU
The Djurtus, for decades an African football lightweight, have reached the finals a third consecutive time under coach Baciro Cande.
Gritty fighters in qualifiers, the West Africans have struggled at the higher level of the finals, securing just one point from each previous appearance.
But a team skippered by goalkeeper Jonas Mendes will be hopeful of a first win when they start against Sudan, a nation they hammered 4-2 in a World Cup qualifier in Omdurman last September.
Mendes and forwards Piqueti and Frederic Mendy were part of the 2017 and 2019 campaigns and Porto full-back Nanu and midfielder Moreto Cassama, from French Ligue 1 club Reims, are potential stars.
SUDAN
One-time champions Sudan are back after a 10-year absence having used aerial power to upset South Africa in a key qualifier.
The Jediane Falcons reached the 2012 quarterfinals, but it is difficult to imagine them repeating that feat under new coach Burhan Tia.
He succeeded Frenchman Hubert Velud, who paid the price for winless World Cup and Arab Cup group campaigns.
Salah-less Egypt hammered Sudan 5-0 in the Arab Cup while the chances of repeating a 4-0 whipping of Nigeria in 1963 are wafer thin. That leaves Guinea-Bissau as the only realistic hope of a victory.
Vincent and Andrea join Cameroon camp
The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have a full squad of 28 players in camp following the late arrivals of skipper Vincent Aboubakar and midfielder Andrea James Lea Siliki in readiness for the 33rd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Both players were the last to join the camp at the Mundi Multi Sports Complex due to club commitments, cafonline.com reported.
Cameroon’s Portuguese Coach, Antonio Conceiçao had Siliki amongst the 24 players who took part in a routine training session, while Aboubakar who featured in two games in five days in the last week of December for Saudi Arabian side Al-Nasr was given permission to rest.
Cameroon’s camp opened on December 27 with 19 players and completed a full house just a week from their Group A opener against Burkina Faso.
Group rivals, Ethiopia is already in Cameroon while Burkina Faso is scheduled to jet in Wednesday and Cape Verde 24 hours after.
The Indomitable Lions observes one training session daily in preparations for the continent’s showpiece.
The five-time Champions will battle Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Cape Verde in the quest to advance from Group A in the preliminary stages.
The Panthers of Gabon are confident of a positive campaign at the upcoming AFCON 2021 despite their humiliation against Burkina Faso in an international friendly Sunday.
Goals from Issa Kabore, Gustavo Sangare and Dango Ouattara condemned captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his Gabonese side to a 3-0 defeat in the fixture staged at the Seven Stadium in Dubai.
The result comes as a huge morale booster for coach Kamou Malo’s Burkina Faso, with a week into their group A opener against hosts Cameroon.
For the losing side, Patrice Neveu however remained optimistic about his side’s chances going into the 24-nation tournament.
“It was a preparation game and we saw the shortcomings of our team. We have to be mentally strong. I am going to make choices very quickly to put the team back on track,” the French tactician revealed.
“The objective was to make a review of the quality in the squad and see the state of our players,” he concluded.
The Panthers will face AFCON-bound Mauritania on Tuesday in a second friendly for both nations camping in the United Arab Emirates ahead of their AFCON campaigns.
The Gabonese, who are pitted in Group C are scheduled to arrive in Yaounde-Cameroon on January 5 and will set the ball rolling against debutants Comoros on January 10 at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.
They later will face Ghana and Morocco in the next two group games on January 14 and 18 respectively.
Rwanda defeats Guinea 3-0 in build-up
Rwanda defeated Guinea 3-0 in an international friendly match played at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali Monday night.
Coach Kaba Diawara Syli Nationale team used the match to prepare ahead of the AFCON 2021.
Guinea started well with Sory Kara and Amadou Diawara keeping the Rwanda defenders busy. But it was Muhadjir Hakizimana who gave the hosts the lead after 22 minutes.
The Rwanda side defended in numbers as the Guinea team pushed forward. In the second half Dany Usengimanamade it 2-0 for Rwanda with a low shot past Guinea’s goalkeeper Ibrahim Kone.
After 53 minutes Sory Kara thought he had pulled a goal back, but it was canceled. But Rwanda made it 3-0 after 72 minutes with substitute Fred Muhozi getting his name on the score sheet.
Substitute Morlaye Sylla had several attempts at goal but found the Rwanda goalkeeper Adolphe Hakizimana up to the task.
“This has been a very good friendly match for us because it gives us the opportunity to identify and improve on the weak areas,” said Guinea’s coach Diawara after the match.
Guinea who is placed in Group B alongside Senegal, Zimbabwe and Malawi for the AFCON 2021 will play their second international friendly match against the Amavubi Stars on January 6th.
There are 24 teams competing at the tournament, separated into six groups of four. The groups are as follows:
Group A: Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ethiopia
Group B: Senegal, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi
Group C: Morocco, Ghana, Gabon, Comoros
Group D: Egypt, Nigeria, Sudan, Guinea-Bissau
Group E: Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Equatorial Guinea
Group F: Tunisia, Mali, Gambia, Mauritania
The top two teams from each group, along with the best four third-placed teams will advance to the last 16 knockout stage.
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