CAN 2024: between Egypt, Ghana and Mozambique, woe to the vanquished
Guaranteed to finish first in Group B, Cape Verde can approach its final group match against Egypt with confidence.
With two points, the Pharaohs must win to qualify.
With one point each, anything other than a victory would doom Ghana and Mozambique's chances of reaching the knockout stages.
Ghanaian Jordan Ayew fighting with Egyptian striker Mostafa Mohamed during the Egypt-Ghana match on January 18, 2024. AFP - ISSOUF SANOGO
By: Pierre Fesnien Follow
Advertisement
Read more
From our special correspondent in Abidjan,
At the CAN, the pre-match press conferences follow one another and are similar.
Statements like “
We have to stay positive and fight until the end
” or “
We will have to play this match like a final
” continue tirelessly with an air of déjà vu.
Those of the final matches of Group B did not escape the rule, but it is clear that this time, these football commonplaces could not better correspond to the situation of the three teams who are still fighting for a ticket to the round of 16.
Imperative victory for the Pharaohs
Of the four teams in the group, only one is already guaranteed to qualify.
With six points in two matches, the surprising Cape Verdeans will be first in their group whatever happens.
The match against Egypt will therefore be a match without stakes for them.
The Pharaohs would certainly like to say the same.
Even if they are the only ones in the group to have their destiny in hand, with two points on the clock, they must win to be sure of qualifying.
Read alsoCalendar and results of CAN 2024
A task which should be within the reach of the seven-time African champions, but which will undoubtedly prove more complicated than what the Egyptians had surely imagined during the draw for this CAN 2024.
The Blue Sharks
have made it clear that They were playing this match with the aim of achieving a flawless performance in this first round, especially since the Pharaohs will have to do without Mohamed Salah, their playmaker and captain.
Released due to injury in the first half of the match against Ghana (2-2), the Liverpool player was announced unavailable for two matches.
The Egyptian Federation finally announced this Sunday that the player would return to the United Kingdom to be treated by his club's medical team, which leaves little chance of seeing him again on the field with the Pharaons by the end of the CAN.
If Egypt has no choice but to win, it is not alone.
In the other match of this final day of Group B, any result other than a victory would potentially condemn Mozambique and Ghana to elimination, who have only one point each.
If Egypt does not win against Cape Verde, a victory would allow these teams to move up to second place in the standings.
In the case of an Egypt victory, they could then claim a best third place depending on the results of the other groups of this African Cup of Nations.
Mozambique and Ghana no longer have their destiny in their hands
Mozambique and Ghana are therefore no longer completely in control of their destiny which greatly depends on the result of the Cape Verde-Egypt match.
The two parties will play at the same time, like all the last matches of each group, to preserve sporting fairness and avoid any arrangement, but there is no doubt that each sideline will carefully follow their result of the other match in progress with attention.
On the Mozambican side, confidence is essential.
“
No one would have believed that we would play eye to eye with Egypt… We played well against Egypt, so why not also against Ghana
,” questioned Chinquinho Condé who also underlined that the Ghanaians had not won for four matches.
A way of reminding us that the Black Stars are currently going through a period of doubt, even if the return of
Mohammed Kudus
, author of two goals against Egypt, has done a lot of good.
Ghanaians and Mozambicans therefore have their backs to the wall.
“
It's a situation that we would all have preferred to avoid in order to be in a better position, but unfortunately, that is not the case,
” said the Black Stars coach, Chris Hughton, with a bit of resignation.
The misfortune of some could, however, bring happiness to the public, because with such high stakes, these last two matches promise to be thrilling.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your inbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Share :
Continue reading on the same themes:
CAN 2024
Soccer
Mozambique
Egypt
Ghana
Green cap