14:00 ET Canada-USA | 21:00 Cairo Local Time
Venue: Stade Roumde Adjia
Guinea-Bissau and Egypt go head-to-head in the second game of the day at the Roumdé Adjia Stadium on Saturday when they will have a better idea of what their respective chances of squeezing into the last 16 at the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations are.
Nigeria currently tops the group and are heavy favorites to beat Sudan to seal their progression to the knock-out stages and if that is the case, either Egypt or Guinea-Bissau can take a bold step toward joining them with victory.
The Pharaohs came under fire for their lackluster performance after losing to Nigeria 1-0 in their opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Coach Carlos Queiroz has faced severe criticism for his tactical choices and player positioning to the point that his future with the team has been put in question.
“Nobody is hurt more than the coach when the team is not playing good,” he said during the pre-match conference on Friday.
However, he expressed his full confidence that the team will deliver against Guinea Bissau.
“We have only one thing in mind, to produce a strong performance and progress in the tournament. I am sure we will play a great game,” he added.
Egypt’s Pharaohs were dealt a huge blow ahead of the game as first-choice full-backs Ahmed Fatouh and Akram Tawfik will be sitting out.
Tawfik is facing a lengthy layoff after suffering an ACL injury while Fatouh will sit out of this game with a muscle strain.
However, there is good news for Queiroz, too; his instrumental midfielder, Amr El-Sulaya, has resumed full training and is available for selection.
The Portuguese tactician is considering remodeling his midfield, which lacked inspiration against the Super Eagles.
“We understand our fans were upset after our first defeat and we do feel their sadness and pain. But we are determined to correct our image,” El-Sulaya concluded.
AFCON 2021: FT Guinea-Bissau 0-1Egypt
