An exciting day of action at the Africa Cup of Nations concludes on Thursday with the match between Egypt and Ghana. Both sides are looking for their first wins of the competition in what is shaping up to be a competitive group. Egypt salvaged a point through a late penalty in a 2-2 draw with Mozambique on Sunday, while Ghana are the only team without a point in Group B after losing to Cape Verde earlier in the day. Both teams will no doubt be looking for a win on Thursday, or risk an early exit from the competition without one.
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Here’s what you need to know before you tune in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Thursday, January 18 | Year: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny — Abidjan, Ivory Coast
- TV: beIN Sports | Live broadcast: Fubo (try it for free)
- Chance: Egypt -100; Draw +210; Ghana +375
Stories
Egypt: Egypt dominated their match against Mozambique but failed to secure all three points, something coach Rui Vitoria blamed on a lack of focus. “We lost concentration for three minutes but we are still in the race for qualification, nothing has been lost,” he said. per The Guardian, for a match that started well with a second-minute goal from Mostafa Mohamed but went in Mozambique’s favor after scoring two goals in three second-half minutes. Mohamed Salah was there to convert the last-gasp penalty to secure a point, but Egypt will need to be more effective at the back and up top to make a deep run. They missed shots often on Sunday, taking 21 shots but putting just five on frame.
Ghana: This edition of AFCON has already been memorable for teams that punched above their weight, and no one has been at the receiving end of it quite like Ghana. They were completely outclassed by Cape Verde in their 2-1 defeat on Sunday when the eventual winners won the possession battle, outscored Ghana 15-10 and restricted the Black Stars to just one shot on target. A course correction is undoubtedly the bare minimum for Ghana against Egypt and a point may be necessary for the Black Stars to qualify for the next round.
Prophecy
Egypt’s problems seem easier to solve than Ghana’s at the moment, and with Salah in his current form, it’s unwise to bet against them. Choose: Egypt 2, Ghana 1