Egypt’s hopes to reach the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations next round suffered a huge blow after  the young Pharaohs started their mission with a goalless draw with Mozambique before losing to Nigeria 1-0 in the second round of Group A games.

“I am working to prepare the players psychologically for the game. They are performing well during trainings to keep their hopes alive in the tournament alive,” the Egypt U-20 coach added.

The coaching staff came under fire after the team’s poor performance in the tournament so far with media and supporters calling for a new coach.

The first two teams in the three groups will advance to the quarter-finals alongside the two best performances of teams who ended third in the different groups.

The first four teams will represent the continent in the upcoming U-20 World Cup set to be played in Indonesia next May.

Egypt last participated in the U-20 World Cup in 2013 but were eliminated from the competition’s first round.

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