Africa Cup
of Nations hosts Egypt are confident of defeating Zimbabwe on Friday in the
opening match of a tournament expanded to 24 teams and staged in mid-year for
the first time.
Egypt lie 51 places higher on the world rankings ahead of the Group A
clash, top the title betting at 5/1 with Zimbabwe 150/1, and have won three of
the four previous Cup of Nations they hosted.
"We are the favorites to win the 2019 Africa Cup," said
60-year-old coach Javier Aguirre, the first Mexican to guide a nation that has
won the competition a record seven times.
"Egypt are playing at home, can count on passionate support and
have Mohamed Salah, the best footballer in Africa."
Salah has returned home after another stellar season with Liverpool,
which he completed by scoring the first goal in a 2-0 Champions League final
triumph over Tottenham Hotspur.
His 22 English Premier League goals last season gave him share of the
Golden Boot title with two fellow Africans, Senegalese Sadio Mane and
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Gabon.
Aguirre says fears that his talisman may be jaded after a long season of
Premier League and Champions League football are unfounded.
"Mohamed took a holiday after the Champions League final, did not
play in our first warm-up match and only came on after halftime in the
second," he countered.
Egypt beat fellow qualifiers Tanzania and Guinea and what pleased
Aguirre most was not the results, but the large number of scoring chances the
Pharaohs created.
"We had about 20 chances to score against the Tanzanians and almost
as many against the Guineans. That is very encouraging."
Aguirre also dismissed the view that Egypt rely too heavily on Salah,
saying: "We have selected 23 footballers who are totally committed to the
cause of winning the Cup of Nations.
"It is impossible for one footballer to win a Cup of Nations on his
own. Mohamed will receive tremendous support from his teammates.
"All the players are mentally and physically ready and we look
forward to beginning our campaign with a victory over Zimbabwe."
The countries have met only once in a Cup of Nations with Egypt winning
2-1 in Tunisia 15 years ago and both teams were eliminated after the first
round.
Aguirre expects the Zimbabwe Warriors to be "a well organised team
who will seek to score mainly through counterattacks and set pieces.
"We have studied videos of them and identified strengths and
weaknesses. I do not believe they will take us by surprise."
Zimbabwe coach and former captain Sunday Chidzambwa was keeping his
thoughts to himself ahead of the tournament opener.
But captain and forward Knowledge Musona, who plays in Belgium, stressed
that they must not become obsessed by Salah, despite the huge threat he poses.
"We must not just stop Salah, we must stop all the Egyptians. If we
concentrate only on one, others will destroy us," he warned.
"My boys must be prepared to contest every loose ball, defend and
attack in numbers, and take our scoring chances.
"Against Egypt in Cairo we are unlikely to get many scoring
chances, so clinical finishing is essential.
"We are not here to talk – we are here to play football. We are in
Egypt to achieve success and make every Zimbabwean proud of us.
"While I would love to add to the three goals I scored in the
qualifying competition, it does not matter who scores, as long as they are
Zimbabwean."
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda are the other teams in Group
A and they meet Saturday at the same venue as the opening match.
Group winners and runners-up qualify for the knockout second round along
with the best four of the six third-place finishers. - Super Sport
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