- Cape Verde have already qualified with two wins
- Ghana and Egypt are both on two points
- Mozambique have one point
AFCON (Africa Cup of Nations) group stage matches will start winding on Monday, with different groups set to be decided. All eyes will be on Group B, where with Cape Verde already assured of a top spot finish following back to back wins, Egypt and Ghana will tussle for one more automatic ticket.
With only one point from two matches, Ghana’s Black Stars face the danger of an early exit at the Africa Cup of Nations, just as it happened three years ago in Cameroon. The Black Stars must win their final match against Mozambique to ensure their hopes of making the last 16 are viable.
They can either progress as second place in Group B if Egypt fail to win against Cape Verde, or one of the best placed number three teams if the Pharaohs win.
Head coach Chris Hughton knows they have their work cut out and there is pressure on their shoulders.
“With regards to what happened two years ago, some players are here, some are not. Players get used to in their careers bouncing back from defeats and try to put what is in the past in the past,” the coach said, speaking before the game.
He added; “I think we are all aware that this is a situation that we would rather not be in and we feel certainly from the performance and the goals that we conceded that we should be in a better position but we are not so the conversation is not difficult.”
Defender Dennis Odoi also believes the team is looking towards picking maximum points and ensuring qualification.
AFCON hopes rest on winning
Ghana players celebrate a goal in their 2-2 draw with Egypt. PHOTO/CAF
“It’s a very important game for us. If you look at the performance from the second game compared to the first game, the performance was. We can still improve and hopefully we can just keep growing and put on a good performance tomorrow,” the defender added.
Mozambique, with just a point from their opening draw against Egypt, will be out to resuscitate their hopes of making the last 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations when they face off Ghana. The Black Stars are equally in a must win situation, thus making the duel tougher.
Mozambique head coach Chiquinho Conde hopes his side can mark improvement from their match against Cape Verde, which they lost 3-0.
“This is going to be our first final. We are up against the wall, we no longer have a choice. We will have to go for this victory and it will not be easy because the Ghanaians will want the same thing as us,” the coach said.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s qualification to the round of 16 will be heavily dependent on whether they can conjure victory over already qualified Cape Verde. The Pharaohs are on two points after back to back draws and have to win to ensure automatic qualification.
Head coach Rui Vitoria expects a tough duel against the islanders, but reckons his side has worked to fix some of the reasons they have not won in the first two games.
Egypt to go all out against Cape Verde
Egypt celebrate a goal. PHOTO/CAF
“To win against Cape Verde, we must show determination and play seriously, and I know that we will face a tough opponent. We have prepared and are ready to give our best,” the coach said.
On his backline, the coach noted; “That is true, but it is not concerning for me. We attack and try to create goals, and when you do that, conceding goals is possible. However, some things need to be done and improved.”
The tactician adds; “We always play to win, and we need to build on what we have done. The attacking aggressiveness must be fortified defensively. Talking to the players to address mistakes is very important. We are improving, but we need to focus more and be more decisive.”
Egypt will be without Mo Salah who picked injury in their last match against Egypt. The striker will however be with them for the match before travelling back to his club Liverpool for further treatment.
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