All of the talk before this one has been around Mohamed Salah's injury and his subsequent return to Liverpool for treatment. Egypt will have to cut through the noise though when they face DR Congo in the round of 16 at AFCON 2023. Nosipho Gumede previews.
AFCON 2023
Match 40 – Egypt v DR Congo
Sunday 28 January | 22:00
A point in their final group game was enough for DR Congo to progress via direct qualification from Group F. The Leopards will set their sights on an Egypt outfit that is yet to record a victory at AFCON, despite finishing second in Group B.
To Win Match (90 mins)
Egypt 21/20 | Draw 17/10 | DR Congo 29/10
With seven AFCON titles to their name, Egypt is definitely a side to fear at any stage of the competition. Despite being the most successful nation at the tournament, lacklustre performances against Mozambique, Ghana and Cape Verde could signal a changing of the guard. Whilst they have found their way to the back of the net, overall performances across the pitch have left much to be desired.
Egypt were runners-up at the 2017 and 2021 finals – after squeezing through to the knockout stages. They are hoping to clinch their first AFCON title since 2010, however, will this be possible without talisman Mohammed Salah?
The Pharaohs have been a shadow of themselves and the writing could be on the wall for former Benfica boss Rui Vitoria. His Egypt side have gone without a win in their first three matches in a single AFCON edition for the first time since 1990 (when they lost all three fixtures).
Furthermore, the North Africans have drawn five consecutive AFCON games for the first time. Not pretty reading if you’re an Egyptian fan or punter.
Like Egypt, DR Congo booked their place in the knockout stages of the competition without registering a single victory. Sharing a group with the highest-ranked nation on the continent, Morocco, and a free-scoring Zambia outfit, one would have been wary about The Leopard’s chances of progression.
Their draw with Chipolopolo on opening day signified their intent. If that wasn’t sufficient, Sebastien Desabre’s second-half substitution against The Atlas Lions proved to be a stroke of brilliance as Silas Mvumpa would go on to equalize and ensure the points were shared.
While there are a handful of talented players for the French tactician to call upon, the last few games were a struggle. Looking at the head-to-head, the previous time these two teams faced each other was during AFCON 2019, where Egypt went on to win 2-0.
Verdict: Egypt 21/20
My money is on Egypt here. Although their performances have been lacklustre, they have greater strength in depth and a strong track record at this stage of the tournament.
