On Sunday, 30th January 2022, Egypt, after progressing through a penalty shootout against Ivory Coast, will be set to lock horns with the Atlas Lions of Morocco in a quarterfinal fixture in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations. Both teams are in contention to edge past each other when they meet on Sunday.
Here, we take a look at some key clashes in this tricky fixture.
MOHAMED SALAH VS YOUSSEF EN-NEYSRI
Prior to this tournament, Mohammed Salah was arguably one of the best players currently in the world at the club level and many were tipping him to win the next ballon d’Or. His goals contribution for Liverpool FC is outstanding.
Although he hasn’t been that impressive in this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, his capabilities and presence cannot be entertained by his opponents. He scored the winning penalty against Ivory Coast. So far in this competition, he has one goal to his name.
Youssef En-Neysri after missing the first group game against Ghana has shown good signs of a good striker despite not getting enough numbers to his name. His performance and work rate has been satisfactory to his side as things are heating up in the competition. He has scored one goal so far in the competition.
MOHAMED MARMOUSH VS SOFIANE BOUFAL
Marmoush is another player who could cause a lot of harm to the defence of Morocco. He’s dangerous on the flanks. His ability to stretch the defence of his opponent cannot be overlooked. He dribbles very well and has an eye for goal.
Sofiane Boufal has been one of the standout players for Morocco so far in this AFCON campaign. He has scored two goals in the competition so far. His ability to dribble very well as well as creating of chances for his team would be key in this fixture. He’s a very key figure for Morocco to qualify to the next stage of the competition.
MOHAMED ABDELMONEM VS ROMAIN SAISS
Mohamed Abdelmonem has been impressive at the heart of the defence for Egypt. The Egyptians have conceded one goal so far in the competition. His presence at the back have made things stable and hard to break when they face any side. He has also registered a goal to his name making him one of the defenders with goals in the competition so far.
Romain Siass who plays for Wolverhampton Wanderers is the leader and Captain of the Moroccan National team and has shown how important he is to them so far in the competition. He brings experience and calmness to the backline and also double up as a threat in his opponent’s box. His Strength/Shielding abilities is good as it is expected of a good central defender.
MOHAMED ELNENY VS ACHRAF HAKIMI
Elneny who plays for Arsenal FC has been producing a good performance for the Egyptians making him an undisputed starter is another player who could have influence in the game. The box-to-box midfielder who can also play as a defensive midfielder who the man of the match against Ivory Coast in the round 16th stage of the competition. His presence in the midfield will see Egypt winning a lot of tackles and breaking opponents play.
Achraf Hakimi is one of the top right-backs in the world currently and the player has shown his prows in the competition so far. He has scored two goals in the competition. He scored a wonderful freekick against Malawi. That goal was the match-winner for Morocco. His presence in the game would be a huge boost to the Moroccan National team as the player is expecting to get more goals in the competition. His efforts will be key if they can progress to the next stage or not.
