JOHANNESBURG: Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has vowed to avenge an Africa Cup of International locations ultimate loss final month to Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal once they conflict once more on Friday in a 2022 International Cup play-off. Failure within the continental ultimate used to be specifically sour for prolific Liverpool scorer Salah as he used to be additionally a part of the Egyptian workforce that misplaced the 2017 Cup of International locations ultimate towards Cameroon.
Liverpool teammate Mane performed a pivotal function within the first Cup of International locations triumph of Senegal – atoning for a penalty omit in common time by means of changing the spot-kick that received the shoot-out. Egypt host the primary leg on Friday and Senegal have house merit subsequent Tuesday with the combination winners filling certainly one of 5 puts reserved for Africa on the 32-nation finals in Qatar. Right here, AFP Game appears to be like forward to the 5 first legs with Cameroon searching for a record-extending 8th look by means of an African country on the International Cup and Mali hoping to succeed in the finals for the primary time.
Egypt v Senegal
Senegal trainer Aliou Cisse says the Cup of International locations triumph is historical past and all that issues is securing a 2d directly International Cup look. “Profitable the Cup of International locations isn’t an result in itself as a result of we proportion a not unusual function of taking part in on the International Cup once more,” he informed journalists. With a ‘backbone’ comprising Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly, PSG midfielder Idrissa Gueye and Mane, Senegal are smartly provided to prevail. Egypt welcome again superstar goalkeeper Mohamed el Shenawy, who overlooked the Cup of International locations ultimate thru damage, however they had been the second one best possible facet within the African name decider and get started as underdogs. The Egyptian media reported Egypt captain Mohamed Salah telling his teammates after the penalty shoot-out defeat in Cameroon that “we meet them (Senegal) once more subsequent month and inshallah (God prepared) we will be able to take revenge”.
Ghana v Nigeria
Nigeria are favoured, however custom suggests an in depth affair with each and every country profitable two times in earlier International Cup qualifiers and 4 different conferences drawn. Each fared poorly on the Cup of International locations with Ghana surprise first-round casualties after dropping to minnows Comoros and Nigeria creating a timid last-16 departure towards Tunisia. Nigeria boast a more potent squad than they’d in Cameroon with forwards Emmanuel Dennis, Odion Ighalo and Victor Osimhen now to be had, however injured midfielder Wilfred Ndidi misses out. Ghana fired Serb trainer Milovan Rajevac after the Cup of International locations debacle and taken in Otto Addo with former Newcastle and Brighton boss Chris Hughton lending help.
Cameroon v Algeria
Hosts Cameroon fired Portuguese Toni Conceicao after completing 3rd on the Cup of International locations and employed legend Rigobert Music at the orders of President Paul Biya. Music has selected many of the workforce eradicated by means of Egypt within the semi-finals and there shall be a lot hobby in how he treats Bayern Munich ahead Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. Choupo-Moting used to be livid on the no longer making the beginning line-up towards the Pharaohs and teaming up with captain and main Cup of International locations scorer Vincent Aboubakar and Karl Toko Ekambi. Algeria suffered a disastrous Cup of International locations name defence, going out after the primary around, and trainer Djamel Belmadi has dumped 11 of the squad he took to Cameroon in January.
DR Congo v Morocco
The Democratic Republic of Congo are on my own some of the 10 contenders in no longer having the advantage of fit apply on the Cup of International locations — they got here 3rd in a qualifying crew and overlooked out. It might be fine, although, as Morocco is not going to have fresh pictures of the Leopards, whose simplest earlier International Cup look used to be in 1974 when the rustic used to be referred to as Zaire. Alternatively, it’s no secret that Dieumerci Mbokani is the person Morocco will have to shackle after the 36-year-old scored 4 objectives in qualifiers having been recalled after a number of years within the wasteland. Cup of International locations quarter-finalists Morocco boast a celeb full-back in Ashraf Hakimi, however Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech shall be absent because of a fall-out with trainer Vahid Halilhodzic.
Mali v Tunisia
Mali and Tunisia met on the Cup of International locations in Cameroon and a story of 2 consequences ended with the Eagles from west Africa profitable 1-0 after Ibrahima Kone scored and Wahbi Khazri overlooked. Extra shut encounters are most probably with Mali hoping to create historical past, and deny Tunisia a 6th International Cup look. A spice up for Mali is the belated determination of France-born Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure to constitute the rustic of his oldsters. Tunisia, who fell to Burkina Faso within the Cup of International locations quarter-finals, have recalled ahead Taha Yassine Khenissi after he finished a six-month doping ban. – AFP