A heavy-caliber match for the Egyptian national team today
Mohamed Salah and his companions face "elephants" in the jungles of Africa
The Egyptian national football team is facing a heavy-caliber confrontation in the African Nations Championship currently being held in Cameroon, when it meets the Ivory Coast (Elephants) team at eight in the evening, UAE time, at Ahmedou Ahidjo Stadium.
The "Pharaohs" enter the meeting amid fears from its supporters of bidding farewell to the tournament from advanced roles, similar to what happened in the tournament hosted by Cairo in 2019, and bid farewell to the competitions from the round of 16 with a loss from South Africa 0-1.
The Egyptian team's position does not seem good, in sympathy with the levels it presented during the group stage, when it came second behind Nigeria with difficult victories over Guinea-Bissau and Sudan, 1-0.
The accusation finger behind the poor technical return of the Pharaohs points to their Portuguese coach, Carlos Queiroz, from whom the Egyptians are accustomed to shocks, whether with the squad, or his wrong employment of some stars, or even the changes he makes during matches, which do not achieve any addition to the level of beauty performance.
Amid the darkness of the “Pharaohs” fear of “elephants”, the history of confrontations between the Egyptian team and its Ivory Coast in the African Nations Championship stands to testify to Egypt’s superiority during 10 confrontations that brought them together in the tournament, as the Pharaohs won on nine occasions, compared to one victory for Ivory Coast.
The first confrontation between the two teams was in the African Nations Cup in the 1970 edition to determine the third and fourth places, when the Pharaohs won 3-1.
While the second confrontation in the 1974 edition was in the group stage, and Egypt won two goals without a response. As for the third confrontation, it came in the 1980 version and in the group stage as well, and the Pharaohs repeated their victory with two goals against a goal.
In the African Cup of Nations in 1984 was a new confrontation in the group stage, and ended with the victory of the Pharaohs with the same result, and in 1986 Egypt won two goals without a response in the group stage.
In the 1990 edition, Ivory Coast's first victory was 3-1, a tournament in which the Egyptian team participated in the reserve to prepare for the World Cup, and that confrontation was in the group stage as well.
Eight years later, the two teams met in the 1998 edition in the quarter-finals, and the Pharaohs won 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw, and the confrontation between them was repeated in the 2006 edition, when they met twice in that tournament, where Egypt won the group stage 3-1.
The second confrontation came in the final, and the Egyptian team won the penalty shootout 3-1 after a goalless draw, and the Pharaohs won the fifth title in their history. The last confrontation was in the 2008 semi-final, and the Egyptian team swept the Ivory Coast 4-1.
• Fingers blamed for the poor level of the "Pharaohs" are directed at Portuguese coach Queiroz.
• 10 confrontations between Egypt and Ivory Coast, the "Pharaohs" won 9 times, compared to one victory for Ivory Coast.
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