Egypt ready for U-23 AFCON final, achieved target: Coach Micale

Ahmed Abd El Rasoul , Wednesday 5 Jul 2023

Roger Micale, coach of the Egypt U-23 national football team, stated that his team has achieved its target of qualifying for the Olympics and is prepared for the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations final, regardless of their opponent's identity.

Egypt U-23 national football team's coach Rogerio Micale. Photo: EFA

Egypt defeated Guinea 1-0 in the AFCON semi-final on Tuesday, earning their place at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“I am very happy with the victory and qualification for the 2024 Olympics. This was Egypt’s main target from the African Cup of Nations,” Micale said in the press conference after the game.

“We started the Guinea game in a perfect way, but sadly we looked tired later due to a short time of rehabilitation, unlike our opponents.

“We changed our strategy on the pitch due to the high temperature and we had to exert much effort. We missed a lot of chances to score, but finally, we managed to control the game,” the Brazilian coach added.

Micale denied that his team is using a defensive strategy, emphasizing that avoiding defensive errors is his top priority.

In Saturday's African final, Egypt will face Morocco, who defeated Mali 4-2 in a penalty shootout on Tuesday.

“Morocco and Mali teams are delivering outstanding performances and we are ready to face any one of them in the final,” the coach concluded before knowing the identity of the final’s opponent.

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