K.O. at 22:00 Cairo local time | 15:00 ET Canada-USA
Venue: Stade Laurent Pokou (San-Pedro)
The Pharaohs will be without crucial injured players, including Liverpool’s winger Mohamed Salah, first-choice goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy, and talented midfielder Emam Ashour.
Eintracht Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush is also uncertain for the game as he picked up a cold on the eve of the match.
Despite these setbacks, the seven-time African champions managed to secure their spot in the knockout stage by finishing second in Group B, earning three points from three consecutive draws.
On the other hand, DR Congo secured the second position in Group F, accumulating three points through a series of three draws.
The Pharaohs hold a dominant record against DR Congo, having won eight times, drawn three, and lost only once in their 12 encounters with the Leopards.
Acknowledging that his team is not entering the match at full strength, Egypt’s Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria emphasized on Saturday their determination to fight on the pitch and advance to the quarter-finals.
The Pharaohs will be facing DR Congo at Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro in the round of 16 of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire.
The seven-time African Champions Egypt have already qualified for this round on Monday after finishing second in Group B with three points from three successive draws.
“We will be facing a strong opponent but since day one here we considered every match as a final match,” the Portuguese coach said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“We are not at 100 percent capacity because of the recent problems and injuries that we faced,” said Vitorio.
“But this is football. We understand we have a big responsibility and we will do our best inside the pitch.”
Sebastien Desabre, the Frenchman leading the Leopards, expressed his awareness of Egypt’s defensive vulnerabilities in the current tournament and outlined his intention to capitalize on them.
Commenting on Egypt’s struggles at the back, Desabre remarked, “Egypt has conceded six goals and employed three different playing styles. We intend to exploit their defensive weaknesses.”
Asserting their readiness for the upcoming match against Egypt, Desabre stated, “We are prepared for the Egypt game, as they possess a formidable frontline.”
With the group stage now behind them, Desabre emphasized the high stakes of the upcoming encounter, saying, “The group stage is behind us, and this is a do-or-die encounter.”
The winner of the Egypt-DR Congo match will advance to face the victor between Equatorial Guinea and Guinea in the quarter-finals.
Head-to-head Egypt vs DR Congo: Matches: 12, Egypt Won 8 times, lost 1 game, draws 3, goals scored 25 for Egypt, goals conceded 12
Egypt 1-0 DR Congo (1970 Africa Cup of Nations)
Egypt 2-3 DR Congo (1974 Africa Cup of Nations)
Egypt 3-2 DR Congo (1975 Friendly)
Egypt 2-0 DR Congo (1989 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers)
DR Congo 0-0 Egypt (1989 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers)
Egypt 2-2 DR Congo (2004 Friendly)
Egypt 4-1 DR Congo (2006 Africa Cup of Nations)
Egypt 2-1 DR Congo (2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers)
DR Congo 0-1 Egypt (2008 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers)
Egypt 6-3 DR Congo (2010 Friendly)
Egypt 0-0 DR Congo (2012 Friendly)
Egypt 2-0 DR Congo (2019 Africa Cup of Nations)
AFCON 2023 LIVE: Egypt v DR Congo – Round of 16
K.O. at 22:00 Cairo local time | 15:00 ET Canada-USA
