World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

EGYPT

ThePharaohshavewon more Cup
ofNationstitles(seven)andbeen
tomore finals(25)thananyother
countrybutfloppedathomeat
thelasteditionin 2019.
Theywentinto December’sArab
Cupunbeatensincetheirelimination
bySouthAfricainCairo at thelast
finals,butithasbeen a runwithout
conviction– so muchsothatcoach
HossamElBadrywassackedin
Septemberwithoutlosinga game.
Egypthaveseveralplayersleft in
theteamfromthe squadthatlost
toCamerooninthe 2 01 7 finaland
theirprofilemeanstheyarealways
countedamongthe favourites.
Whatthe Egyptianshaveintheir
favourisself-belieffromconsistent
dominanceof theclubgameonthe
continentand experience of tough
conditionsplayinginothercountries.

KEYPLAYER

Mohamed Salahlastscoreda
goalfor hiscountryin Marchbut
providedseveral keyassistsinthe
recentWorldCupqualifiersandis
verymuchthe talismanicinfluence
onthe team,whosometimehave
anoverrelianceontheabilityof
the 2 9-year-oldLiverpoolstar.

THECOACH

CarlosQueirozwasbornin
Mozambiqueandspendsa lotof
timeinAfricabut hisreputation
comesfromcoachingstintsat Real
MadridandManchesterUnited,
plusWorldCup finalsappearances
withPortugalandIran.

GUINEA-BISSAU

Itwill be thethirdsuccessiveCup

ofNationsfinalsfor thesmallWest

Africancountry, whosereputation

asa rogueanddysfunctional state

isthe opposite to thegrowing

prominenceoftheirfootballteam.

Theywereranked 19 5th in the

worlda decadeagoafterirregular

participationinmajortournament

qualifiersbutroseuptoa highof

68thplacewhentheywereshock

qualifiersfor a first-everCupof

Nationsappearancein 20 17.

LikeanotherformerPortuguese

colony,CapeVerde,they’ve turned

tothe migrantcommunityinEurope

tosignificantlystrengthentheirside.

Theywentout earlyinboth

previousappearancesandarestill

towina gameatthe tournament,

whichwill be theirprimary aim

inCameroonthistimeround.

KEYPLAYER

Theelectric26-year-oldwinger

MamaBaldehails from Sporting’s

prodigiousyouth factorybuthas

belatedlymadehisbreakthrough

inFranceatDijonandTroyes,

withalmost 20 Ligue1 goals

sincearrivingin 2019.

THECOACH

BaciroCandehadhisfirst stintas

coach of thenational teamfrom

2003 -200 8 andthe 54-year-old

wasreappointed in 2 016 ,becoming

somethingofa folkhero at home,

wherehe haswonnineleague

titleswithSportingBissau,five

oftheminsuccessive years.

NIGERIA

A farfromconvincingWorldCup

qualifyingcampaign between

SeptemberandNovemberhad

theSuperEaglesonceagain

pushingthe panicbuttons.

Althoughtheydidwinthe group,

there were twopoorhomedisplays

against theCentralAfrican Republic

andCapeVerde,whosedepthisso

farinferiortothatofthecontinent’s

mostpopulousnation.

Nigeriaare three-timeAFCON

winners,the last in 2 013 in South

Africa with an untriedanduntested

teamthatgrewinmomentumas

thetournamentprogressed.

Therearesimilar elements about

thisteamaswell,to remindus that

Nigeriacannever be writtenoff.

Buthowtheycopewithoutinjured

starstrikerVictorOsimhen,who

fracturedaneyesocket forNapoli

inNovember, remainstobeseen.

KEYPLAYER

Wilfred Ndidiisclosing in on 5 0

capsfor Nigeriaandhasproven an

increasingmainstayof theside,with

the 2 5-year-oldmidfieldernow

regularlytransferringhisformfrom

LeicesterCitytothenationalteam.

THECOACH

The68-year-oldGernotRohr

wasappointedNigeria coachin

2016 buthadhisdealextended

after qualifyingthe SuperEagles

forthe 2018 WorldCup in Russia.

Hasbeenunderintense pressure

though,withrumourshewill be

sackedpriortotheAFCONkick-off.

SUDAN

Sudanwilllikely have just one

foreign-basedplayer,ata clubin

neighbouringEgypt,intheirsquad

astheycompeteat thefinalsfor the

first timesince 2012 , securingtheir

placebyupsettingSouth Africain

a decisivequalifierinMarch.

Sudanareformerwinners,back

in 1970 whentheywerehosts,but

thisisonlythefifthtimetheyhave

qualifiedfor thefinalssince.

Havinga home-basedsquad

meansthereis theadvantageof

longerpreparation,withoutthe

constraintsof theFIFAwindow

forinternationals,plusSudan

alsoparticipatedinDecember’s

ArabCupin Qatar.

Butwhether thatwillseethem

well-honedfor theCupof Nations

finalsremains to be seen.Theyare

alltoooftenlacking in confidence.

KEYPLAYER

Right-backAther El Tahirmoved

toEgyptiansideSmouhafromAl

HilalOmdurmaninKhartoumin

2020 , with the25-year-olda

rareexportfroma countrywhere

playingforoneofthetopclubs

offersamongthebestsalaries

inAfrican football.

THECOACH

The 62 -year-oldFrenchman

HubertVeludwasthecoach

whenTogo’s teamwereattacked

inAngola’sdisputedCabinda

provinceaheadofthe 2010 finals,

andshotinthe armduringthe

attackthatkilledthreepeople.

GROUPD

Seven-time

winners...

Egypt won

theirlast

AFCONtitle

in 2010

Pressure...

Nigeriaare

expectedto

performin

Cameroon

Talisman...

MoSalah

Winger...

MamaBalde

Ruledout...

VictorOsimhen

Coach...

Hubert

Velud