Egypt have been the most successful team in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), winning the title seven times. The side is in the hunt for the eighth this year and their determined show in the group stages is an evidence of that. However, the Egyptians can not take things lightly against Morocco in the quarterfinals of Afcon 2017 at Stade de Port-Gentil, Port-Gentil, on Sunday (January 29).
Egypt finished top of their group in the league stages while Morocco finished second in their group, which included previous champions Ivory Coast and DR Congo. Both teams will go into the high-voltage match with their heads high although in terms of ranking and success at Afcon, Egypt hold the edge.
Egypt have not only looked good in offence but their defence, too, has stood firm against teams like Ghana, Mali and Uganda. They have not conceded a single goal in the competition, explaining the tough task Morocco have in hand to beat their defence.
It is Egypt's all-round display which has helped them reach the Afcon quarters. Players like Mohamed Salah and Mohamed Eleny are helping them play as a solid unit. Coach Hector Cuper has also proved to be handy by boosting his players to give their best.
"Our ambitions are very high and we are going to fight and give our best in order to keep progressing," BBC quoted Cuper as saying.
But there is something that Egypt also need to keep in mind. Despite their fabulous show in Afcon, Morocco has been one bogey team for them. Egypt have succeeded in defeating the Moroccans only once in their last five Afcon meetings. Such statistics will boost Morocco, who have won Afcon only once, ahead of the big game.
Also, when it comes to winning the Afcon, there is no better person than the current Morocco coach Herve Renard, who knows how to win titles. He has won the trophy as the coach of Zambia and Ivory Coast in the past. Morocco will hope that Renard's title luck flashes for the third time and they be the beneficiary.
Reaching the semifinals doesn't look impossible for Morocco if their big players stand up and deliver. Renard needs the likes of Mehdi Benatia, Hamza Mendyl and Youssef Ennesyri to shine against Egypt. After losing to DR Congo in their opening encounter, Morocco have bounced back brilliantly winning their last two matches in the group. Renard will want his players to continue with the show in the quarterfinals.
"It is already a privilege to be in the last eight but now we need to be much more ambitious than that. Sometimes, the African Cup can be more difficult than this so when you are lucky enough to safely negotiate the group stage against very strong teams you need to seize the opportunity. It would be extraordinary if we could go a lot further," Renard said.
Where to watch live
Egypt vs Ghana Afcon 2017 match is scheduled for a 12:30am IST (7:00pm GMT, 2:00pm ET) start. Live Streaming and TV information:
India: TV: No live coverage.
Africa: TV: SuperSport6 Africa. Live Streaming: SuperSport live video.
UK: TV: EuroSport 1 UK. Live Streaming: EuroSport Player.
Australia, Canada, US: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
