Egypt Secures Record-Extending 26th Appearance at Africa Cup of Nations
Egypt has secured a record-extending 26th appearance at the Africa Cup of Nations finals after coming from behind to beat Guinea 2-1 on Wednesday. The win ensured Egypt’s top spot in their qualifying group with one match to play in the preliminary competition. They are the eighth country to qualify for the 24-team finals, which will be hosted in the Ivory Coast next year.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!A Hard-Fought Victory
Captain Mohamed Salah missed two gilt-edged chances, but Mahmoud Trezeguet and Mostafa Mohamed scored to ensure Egypt’s return for another tilt at the African crown, which they have won a record seven times. Guinea took the lead through Serhou Guirassy after 27 minutes, but saw Salah then miss twice from close range before Trezeguet equalized. Mohamed fired home the winner 11 minutes from the end in Marrakech, Morocco, where Guinea were forced to move from their home stadium due to it being ruled unfit for the competition.
Implications for Other Teams
Defeat for Guinea, who are on nine points, opens the door for one of the other two teams in the group – Ethiopia and Malawi – who each have three points and play on Tuesday. The winner of that match then has a chance to catch up, but a draw would see Guinea qualify.
Gambia and Guinea Bissau Get Closer to Qualification
Gambia strengthened their chances of returning to the Cup of Nations finals after a dramatic last-gasp goal earned them a 3-2 win over South Sudan. Substitute Hamza Barry netted the winner seven minutes into stoppage time as Gambia moved to nine points in Group G, sharing top spot with Mali.
A Lusophone Derby
Guinea Bissau’s 1-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe earlier on Wednesday in the Lusophone derby strengthened their chances of qualifying from Group A, where they have advanced to 10 points after five games with a one-point lead over Nigeria. The 55th-minute winner from former Belgium youth international Zinho Gano will qualify Guinea Bissau for a fourth successive finals appearance if Sierra Leone fail to beat Nigeria in the other group game on Sunday.
Conclusion
The Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches are heating up, with several teams securing their spots in the finals. Egypt’s record-extending 26th appearance is a testament to their strength and determination. As the qualifying rounds come to a close, fans can expect more thrilling matches and surprising upsets. With the top two teams in each group set to play at the finals in January, the competition is sure to be fierce and exciting.
