Hosts Cameroon take on Egypt at the Paul Biya Stadium on Thursday as the two most successful sides in the competition’s history, with a combined 12 titles, battle for a place in the final.
The sides last met in the 2017 final hosted by Gabon with the Indomitable Lions emerging triumphant in a 2-1 victory.
With the backing of a passionate home crowd, Cameroon will enter the semi-final as favourites but Egypt have proved that they are no pushovers on course to the last four.
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Cameroon kicked off the tournament on January 9, coming from behind to defeat fellow semi-finalists Burkina Faso 2-1, followed up by a 4-1 demolition of Ethiopia. Toni Conceicao’s side finished off their Group A campaign with a somewhat disappointing draw to Cape Verde, but it was their Round 16 fixture where it nearly came undone…
Comoros came into their clash with Cameroon without a recognised goalkeeper due to Covid absences, forced to play left-back Chaker AlHudur between the sticks from the get-go. Despite his diminutive stature, unfamiliarity with the possession and Comoros going down to 10-men in 8 minutes, the archipelago often looked like the better team.
Goals from Karl Toko Ekambi and Vincent Aboubakar booked passage to the quarter-final with a narrow 2-1 win. Their next opponents Gambia proved less of a threat, as the hosts comfortably advanced with a 2-0 victory.
The five-time winners of the Africa Cup of Nations will be under a weight of expectancy as the host nation, particularly as they are facing the most successful side in the competition’s history.
Cameroon Predicted Team:
Onana; Fai, Castelletto, Ngadeu, Tolo; Oum Gouet, Anguissa; Ekambi, Kunde, Ngamaleu; Aboubakar
Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations campaign hasn’t quite reached the lofty heights of previous tournaments thus far. However, the Pharaohs have stepped it up when it matters most and find themselves in the final four and against a familiar foe in the form of Cameroon.
Egypt’s journey to the semi-finals began in underwhelming fashion as Carlos Queiroz’s side fell to Nigeria. Wins against Guinea-Bissau and Sudan followed and a place in the knockout stages was comfortably secured.
Ivory Coast presented a tough challenge for the Egyptians as neither side were able to find a breakthrough in both regulation and extra time, eventually finishing in a 5-4 penalty shootout victory to set up a clash with fellow Arabic speaking nation Morocco.
The battle of two of world football’s biggest stars ensued as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah faced off against Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi, the former making a telling difference as he both scored and assisted to seal the Pharaohs’ comeback win and a tie with Cameroon.
Carlos Queiroz’s team will face what is possibly their stiffest task yet, and while they are afflicted with notable absentees such as Ahmed Hegazy, Akram Tawfik and goalkeepers Mohamed El-Shenawy & Gabaski, their task will not be any easier.
Egypt also have their sights set on the World Cup in Qatar later this year for what would be their fourth appearance at the finals after 1934, 1990 and 2018.
Egypt Predicted Team:
Sobhy; Kamal, Trezeguet, Hamdi, Fatouh; Ashraf, El-Sulya, Elneny; Mohamed, Marmoush, Salah
