Prediction: Egypt win
Best Odds: 17/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
It’s time for the return of international football as a parade of countries attempt to book their ticket to this year’s 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. A string of nations have already battled their way through to November’s spectacle but with eight months to go, there are still an awful lot of unanswered questions. This week, we’ll get closer to answering some of them in the African qualifiers as Egypt prepare for a scintillating rematch with Senegal.
Egypt
Egypt reaching the AFCON final was seen as something of a minor miracle by some given how they had to edge their way through so many games en-route to actually getting there. In reality, though, they do have some players that are more than capable of pulling a big performance of the bag, and you can bet Mohamed Salah will be leading the charge as he closes down on another appearance in the World Cup.
Senegal
It could be easy for Senegal to take their foot off of the gas given that they’ve now officially earned the title of Champions of Africa due to their AFCON triumph. Alas, the nature of the fixture schedule ensures they have to get their eyes back on the prize heading into this week. The first leg of their tie with Egypt is upon us and Sadio Mane needs to rally the troops and remind them of what it is they’re fighting for.
Factors to Consider
- In the AFCON final last month, Senegal beat Egypt on penalties to win the tournament.
- Egypt topped Group F ahead of Gabon, Libya and Angola to reach the third round.
- Senegal topped Group H ahead of Togo, Namibia and Congo to reach the third round.
- Egypt scored 10 goals in qualifying and conceded four in six games.
- Senegal scored 15 goals in qualifying and conceded four in six games.
Conclusion
Revenge is a dish best served cold and we expect to see Egypt come out firing on all cylinders in this clash in the wake of what happened at the Africa Cup of Nations. We don’t think it’s going to be a classic but we do think they’ll race out into a 2-0 lead before eventually being pegged back, with the African champions reducing the deficit to 2-1 heading into the second leg of this intriguing tie.
Prediction: Egypt win
Best Odds: 17/10
Bookmaker: 888sport
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