Egypt will be aiming for a logic victory over Benin when the two sides meet in the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 on Monday, as the seven-time champions look to avoid surprises.
The competition has largely followed the established hierarchy so far, with few major upsets, and Egypt are keen to ensure that trend continues.
On paper, the Pharaohs are widely favorites to reach the quarter-finals at the expense of Benin.
The Pharaohs topped Group B with seven points, becoming the first team to qualify for the knockout stage, while Benin advanced as one of the four best third-placed teams after finishing third in Group D with three points.
Egypt are 35th in the latest FIFA rankings, compared to Benin’s 95th, and boast a squad featuring established European-based players such as Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah and Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush.
Despite the significant gap between the two sides, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan played down his team’s superiority, warning against complacency.
“Our goal is to get past Benin, a team we respect and appreciate,” Hassan told a pre-match news conference on Sunday.
“Their qualification for the round of 16 was certainly not a coincidence.”
Egypt have enjoyed a week’s rest ahead of the tie, allowing several players to recover from minor injuries, including Nantes striker Mostafa Mohamed and winger Ibrahim Adel.
However, striker Ossama Faisal picked up an injury during Sunday’s training session and is doubtful for Monday’s match, while midfielder Mohanad Lasheen remains sidelined.
The rest of the squad is available, giving Hassan access to his key players, including Salah, Marmoush and Mahmoud Hassan, known as Trezeguet.
“We followed many of Benin’s matches and we respect them,” Trezeguet told reporters.
“We are working hard to deliver our best during the game. The national team is here with one goal: to win the title,” he added.
Benin coach Gernot Rohr acknowledged the scale of the challenge facing his side against the African heavyweights but said his players still had the right to dream.
Making their fifth Africa Cup of Nations appearance since debuting in 2004, Benin recorded their first-ever victory at the finals in this tournament with a 1-0 group-stage win over Botswana.
Benin’s best performance at the Africa Cup of Nations came in 2019 in Cairo, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing 1-0 to future runners-up Senegal.
“We expect an extremely difficult match against a very high-level opponent,” Rohr said.
“We have gained experience against big teams and I hope it will benefit us. We are not the favorites, but that does not stop us from fighting for our chance.” he concluded.
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