Egypt, a powerhouse in African football, is set to begin its TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations 2023 campaign against Mozambique in what promises to be a captivating Group match this Sunday in Cote d’Ivoire.
Historically, Egypt has dominated its encounters with Mozambique in the AFCON, winning all three previous meetings with a 2-0 scoreline in the group stages (1986, 1998, and 2010).
Notably, Mozambique has found themselves drawn in the same group as Egypt for the fourth time in their five AFCON appearances, highlighting a recurring challenge for the team.
The Pharaohs of Egypt come into this tournament holding the record for the most appearances in the AFCON’s history, marking their 26th participation.
They boast an impressive track record with seven titles, the most by any team, and have reached the final in five of their last six participations.
Egypt’s strength in the group stages is evident, having lost only once in their last 19 group matches (W14 D4), a testament to their consistent performance and tactical discipline.
Their defensive prowess is further underlined by the fact that they have conceded only one goal in their last 11 group games.
However, they will be cautious of any complacency, remembering their last defeat against Nigeria in the 2021 edition and a more than 30-year-old group game loss to Algeria by more than one goal in the 1990 edition.
Egypt has also been in fine form in 2023, winning eight of their 10 matches in all competitions. This streak only saw a setback in a friendly against Tunisia last September.
The spotlight will undoubtedly be on Mohamed Salah, who has been a pivotal figure for Egypt since his debut in 2017, being directly involved in 64% of Egypt’s goals at the AFCON (6 goals, 3 assists).
Conversely, Mozambique faces a daunting task in their 5th AFCON appearance, their first since 2010. Historically, they have struggled in the tournament, finishing bottom of their group in all four previous participations.
They have yet to win a match in their 12 AFCON appearances (D2 L10), and their challenge is compounded by a lackluster offensive record, failing to score in 75% of their AFCON matches. Additionally, their goal difference in the qualifying campaign was the lowest among all 24 teams participating in this edition.
