Pharaohs want control again, Eagles out to fly

The decibels of the drumrolls in Cameroon will hypnotise the continent when powerhouses Egypt and Nigeria face off in Group D opener at Roumdé Adjia Stadium in Garoua tonight.

The two sides are giants on the continent with a combined 10 titles. But record seven-time winners have not lifted the iconic silverware since 2010. However, they lost the 2017 final 2-1 to Cameroon in Gabon before stopping at the last-16 stage on home soil three years ago.

The Pharaohs have since changed coaches from Mexican Javier Aguirre to native Hossam El Badry before Portuguese Carlos Queiroz took over last year.

Now Egypt, which won three Afcon titles in a row in 2006, 2008 and 2010, seeks to dominate African football again, with star man Mohamed Salah in their ranks. The Liverpool striker has sometimes been criticised for not giving his best in national colours but he landed in Cameroon in top form, atop the Premier League scorers charts with 16 goals and nine assists.

Salah has Stuttgart striker Omar Marmoush and Galatasaray forward Mostafa Mohamed to assist him in the goal scoring burden.

With his form at club level, and his country yet to lose an Afcon group match since 2004, the Super Eagles’ flight is in check.

At the 2019 showpiece, three-time champions Nigeria finished third, thanks to Odion Ighalo’s five goals but they since parted ways with German tactician Gernot Rohr so former defender Augustine Eguavoen is in temporary charge.

Eguavoen is without Napoli’s forward Victor Osimhen due to injury while in-form striker Emmanuel Dennis has stayed back with Premier League employers Watford.

Meanwhile, 1970 winners Sudan make a return to Afcon after a decade’s absence and open their quest against Guinea Bissau.

RECENT MEETINGS
March 26, 2019 
Nigeria 1-0 Egypt 
March 29, 2016
Egypt 1-0 Nigeria
March 25, 2016
Nigeria 1-1 Egypt 
April 12, 2012
Egypt 3-2 Nigeria
January 12, 2010
Egypt 3-1 Nigeria

[email protected]