Egypt are out to bag a win as they tackle Sudan in their last 2021 Africa Cup of Nations Group D match on Wednesday night.
The North Africans will hope to secure their second win in the group to force their way into the Last 16, but they are aware it will not be easy.
Egypt opened their participation at the tournament with a disappointing 1-0 loss to Nigeria, but were back to winning ways when they won 1-0 against Guinea Bissau.
On the log standings, they now sit second with three points from a win and their mission is to stun the North African rivals.
Coming to Falcons of Jediane, Sudan have had a lukewarm showing at the continental tournament where they were held to a goalless draw by Guinea-Bissau in the first match.
They failed to bounce back and were walloped 3-1 by Nigeria last on Saturday. Khedr Safour Daiyeen scored the lone goal from a penalty in the second half.
Meeting the Egyptians presents a challenge and a stiff test for the Falcons of Jediane as they have been questioned when it comes to consistency.
“The Egypt match is special for us as Sudanese, as it is the Nile Valley derby,” said Falcons of Jediane defender, Mazin Mohamedein.
“The Sudanese people are all looking forward to this match and we are looking forward to winning it and reaching the next round as this is the least we can do for our people,” he added.
The two teams met in the recent Arab Cup where Sudan suffered a humiliating defeat that led to the sacking of coach Hubert Velud and his staff and coming in of new coach Burhan Tia.
In recent times, Sudanese football occasionally produces surprises, perhaps reflecting a tug of war between a proud past and frustrating present.
This will be the sixth encounter between Egypt and Sudan at the Africa Cup of Nations. Egypt hold the upper hand with three wins to Sudan’s one.
Their first four meetings took place between 1957 and 1970 whilst their last head-to-head dates back to 2008, Egypt winning 3-0.
