Speaking at a pre-match press conference, Trezeguet said the national team were fully focused on securing victory in the second round of Group B fixtures. “The match against South Africa is important for the group order. We are playing to win,” he said, adding that the squad had thoroughly analysed their opponents and were ready “to make the fans happy."

Egypt top the group with three points, level with South Africa in second place, while Zimbabwe and Angola remain without points.

The 31-year-old winger added that continuous dialogue between players and the technical staff had helped the team identify strengths and weaknesses ahead of the encounter. He also reflected positively on Egypt’s opening win over Zimbabwe, insisting the performance deserved more than the narrow margin.

“We were the better side against Zimbabwe and managed to win at the end,” Trezeguet said, revealing that Egypt registered more than 33 attempts on goal in that match. He described the figure as a record and said recent training sessions had focused on improving efficiency in front of the goal and converting chances into scores.

Trezeguet stressed that Egypt would approach the South Africa game with maximum intensity, likening it to a cup final. He acknowledged that the round-of-16 exit to South Africa at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations remained a painful memory, but said the current squad were fully prepared for Friday’s challenge.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)

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