Egypt's forward Abdallah El-Said (R) vies with Nigeria's midfielder Efe Ambrose during the African Cup of Nations qualification match between Egypt and Nigeria, on March 25, 2016, in Kaduna (AFP)
Egypt will be looking to beat Nigeria at Alexandria's Borg El-Arab Stadium on Tuesday to boost their chance of reaching the 2017 African Cup of Nations finals for the first time in seven years.
Group leaders Egypt earned on Friday a precious first leg 1-1 draw in Nigeria that kept them on top, two points ahead of the Super Eagles.
A win or a draw would keep the seven-time African champions on top before their final game against minnows Tanzania.
Egypt have four points, two ahead of Nigeria and three clear of third-placed Tanzania. Chad suddenly withdrew from the qualifying stage on Sunday, leaving only three teams in the group.
The group winners will automatically reach next year's Nations Cup finals in Gabon.
Fans, full squad boost for Egypt
Enjoying a full-strength squad, the Pharaohs will also be boosted against the Nigerians by their fans' presence after security officials allowed 40,000 supporters to attend the match in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria despite a crowd ban.
Egypt coach Hector Cuper was heavily criticised for his cautious approach in the first leg, but he confirmed on Sunday that his men would adopt an attacking strategy this time.
"We will try to create more goal-scoring opportunities and be better than in Friday's game, as we are only looking for a win," he said.
"The attendance of fans will give us an edge. It will be different in Alexandria [than in Kaduna]," the Argentinean added.
It is believed that Cuper could make some changes to his starting 11 to adopt a more offensive approach.
Ahly’s rising star Ramadan Sobhi, who set up Mohamed Salah for the late draw, is tipped for a starting position in a three-pronged attack combining Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan and blistering winger Salah.
Midfielder and captain Hossam Ghaly is also expected to start against Nigeria to give harmony and composure to the midfield.
On the other side, Nigeria was dealt a blow after goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was ruled out of the match due to a stomach upset.
However, Nigeria coach Samson Siassia is not worried by Ikeme's absence, as he believes that his side have suitable replacements in all positions.
"We will surely miss Carl, but the good thing about our team is that we have capable replacements in every department," he said.
"We haven't thrown in the towel yet, and we are going to Alexandria to beat Egypt and go to the top," he concluded.
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