Egypt winger Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan struck a confident tone ahead of the Pharaohs’ Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final against Cote d’Ivoire, describing the clash as an “early final”.
Egypt booked their place in the last eight with a 3-1 extra-time victory over Benin and face Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals of AFCON 2025, which is being hosted by Morocco.
The match will be the 12th meeting between Egypt and Cote d’Ivoire at the Africa Cup of Nations, making it the most frequently played fixture in the tournament’s history.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference before Saturday’s showdown, the 31-year-old Ahly winger said the squad were fully aware of the scale of the challenge but confident of meeting expectations.
“We have players capable of reaching the semi-finals and living up to the hopes of the Egyptian people,” Trezeguet said, adding that "the team would rise to the occasion."
He said the Egypt squad that combined world-class talent with leading performers in the domestic league were among the best in Africa in their respective positions.
Trezeguet also addressed concerns over his fitness after sustaining an ankle sprain in the round-of-16 win over Benin last week. He said he was doing everything possible to be ready for the quarter-final, although the Al Ahly winger is likely to miss the match.
In any case, he added, “We will fight to beat Cote d’Ivoire and qualify for the semi-finals."
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