Egypt vs Morocco live on January 30, 2022: North African giants lock horns in AFCON 2021 quarterfinals

Topics: TV Schedules, Egypt, Morocco, Africa Cup of Nations

The Atlas Lions look to maintain their excellent record against their regional rivals while the Pharaohs have their eyes on a record-extending eighth title.

Preview

The 2021 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals are underway, with the last eight kicking off on Saturday. Burkina Faso and Cameroon have already booked their tickets to the semifinals, beating Tunisia and Gambia respectively, with the focus now shifting to Sunday’s round of games. Two matches will take place on the final day of the weekend, with the standout fixture being Egypt vs Morocco at 11 a.m. ET.

Despite being one of the biggest nations in the tournament, as well as the most successful team in this competition’s history, Salah and Co. are yet to hit full stride. However, the Pharaohs have been doing the business, winning their last three games in a row since kicking off their campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria, who have since crashed out.

Back-to-back victories over Guinea-Bissau and later Sudan secured them a spot in the round of 16, where they faced Ivory Coast. That showdown with the Elephants was a tight affair, with neither side managing to score in both normal and added time. As a result, penalty shootout was needed, with the North African giants triumphing via Salah’s decisive spot kick.

The last time Egypt locked horns with Morocco was way back in 2017, with the seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions losing 3-1. While Carlos Queiroz’s side are the most successful team in this competition, their last success came back in 2010, with the Pharaohs making the final only once since then – in 2017 when they lost 2-1 to Cameroon.

If Salah and Co. were to get past their quarterfinal opponents, then they would set a rematch with the Indomitable Lions, led by Vincent Aboubakar. However, beating Morocco is easier said than done. Critics found this out in the group stage, with Hakimi and Co. winning all but one of their first three games, brushing aside Ghana and Comoros before sharing the points with Gabon on matchday three.

After that came an unforgettable round of 16 clash with Malawi, with the game witnessing two stunning goals. One of that was the winner, with the Atlas Lions coming back from 1-0 down to triumph 2-1 courtesy of a breathtaking free kick from their superstar PSG right-back.

Morocco have only won this tournament once in history, with that single title coming way back in 1976. Vahid Halilhodžić’s men will be keen on ending this barren run. However, the Atlas Lions have not made it to the semifinals of the Africa Cup of Nations since finishing fourth in back-to-back editions in the late 1980s. Will they make the penultimate stage this time around? Tune in to find out.

Team news

Egypt: Hamdi Fathi, who picked up a knock in the round of 16 victory over Ivory Coast, is a huge doubt. Similarly, Mohamed El-Shennawy came down with injury during the clash with the Elephants, meaning the Pharaohs could be without their first-choice keeper, who has been excellent throughout the campaign. Akram Tawfik is also sidelined.

Morocco: Ilias Chair, who has only recently recovered from injury, is the only doubt for the Atlas Lions. Morocco could name an identical lineup to the one that beat Malawi, meaning El Kaabi and En-Nesyri could spearhead Vahid Halilhodžić’s attack once again.

Key stats

Egypt have conceded only one goal so far in this tournament.
However, Salah and Co. have only scored twice, hinting at their struggles in front of goal.
Morocco boast an outstanding record against the Pharaohs, winning 14 of their 29 encounters while losing only three (D12).