The Pharaohs have secured their place in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco by leading the group with two games to spare, following a 1-0 away victory against Mauritania in October, claiming a perfect 12 points.

Although their winning streak in the qualifiers was halted with a 1-1 draw against Cape Verde on Friday, Egypt still have the opportunity to set an unprecedented record in their Nations Cup qualifying history.

A victory on Tuesday would see them reach 16 points, surpassing their best performance of 15 points in the 2023 edition, where they won five games and suffered one defeat.

On paper, coach Hossam Hassan's mission should not be too challenging.

Botswana must avoid defeat in Cairo to secure their spot in the continental competition, but realistically, their task appears daunting against the superior Egyptian national team.

Despite the absence of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah, who has been rested during this international break, Egypt remain a formidable opponent for Botswana.

In-form Frankfurt forward Omar Marmoush, FC Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed, and Al-Rayyan winger Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan are set to feature in Tuesday’s clash.

Trezeguet scored twice in the reverse game in September when Egypt dominated Botswana with a 4-0 victory at the Francistown Stadium.

However, goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy and midfielder Hamdi Fathi will miss the game due to automatic suspension, while Mohamed Shehata is sidelined with a muscle injury.

It is likley that coach Hassan will continue his strategy of introducing new faces, with players like, Ahmed Eid, Ahmed Nabil, Mahmoud Saber, Taher Mohamed, Mohamed Rabia and Osama Faisal getting opportunities, as he aims to inject fresh blood into the team.

Since taking charge of the national team, Hassan has pledged to prepare new players capable of representing their country in the future, and it appears that he is succeeding, given the strong performances of many new players against Cape Verde.

"I am delighted with the display of the new players who stepped up in the absence of regulars," Hassan told reporters after the draw with Cape Verde.

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