The Pharaohs came under fire for their lacklustre performance after losing to Nigeria 1-0 in their opening game of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Coach Carlos Queiroz has faced severe criticism for his tactical choices and player positioning to the point that his future with the team has been put in question.

“Nobody is hurt more than the coach when the team is not playing good,” he said during the pre-match conference on Friday.

However he expressed his full confidence that the team will deliver against Guinea Bissau.

“We have only one thing in mind, to produce a strong performance and progress in the tournament. I am sure we will play a great game,” he added.

Egypt’s Pharoahs were dealt a huge blow ahead of the game as first-choice full backs Ahmed Fatouh and Akram Tawfik will be sitting out.

Tawfik is facing a lengthy layoff after suffering an ACL injury while Fatouh will sit out of this game with a muscle strain.

However, there is good news for Queiroz, too; his instrumental midfielder, Amr El-Sulaya, has resumed full training and is available for selection.

The Portuguese tactician is considering remodelling his midfield, which lacked inspiration against the Super Eagles.

“We understand our fans were upset after our first defeat and we do feel their sadness and pain. But we are determined to correct our image,” El-Sulaya concluded.

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