AFCON 2022: Mixed Reactions Trail Super Eagles Pairing Of Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau

By Akinwale Kasali

This is a repeat of the 2010 African Cup of Nations tournament hosted in Angola, where the Super Eagles of Nigeria was paired alongside the Pharaohs of Egypt in Group D.

At the draw of the 2022 AFCON Championship in Yaoundé, Cameroon, the Coach Gernot Rohr-side is grouped alongside Egypt, Sudan and Guinea Bissau.

This has, however, elicited mixed reactions among soccer analysts, enthusiast and pundits over the possibility of the Super Eagles topping the Group  scaling through to the knockout phase of the Championship.

At the 2019 AFCON Championship hosted by Egypt, the six time African Champions was booted out in the Second Round by the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, despite boasting of star players like Mohammed Salah, Mohammed Elneny, Mohammed Trezeguet, Ahmed Hegazy among other top European Players, while the Super Eagles got the Bronze medal, defeating Tunisia in the Third Place Match courtesy of a Jude Odion Ighalo strike.

Some Soccer analysts believe that the Egyptian team are better coordinated and organized than their West African counterpart, with most of their players playing in the Egyptian league and have better understanding, unlike their Nigerian opponent.

According to Lekan Joseph Ologbon, a soccer administrator, “Nigeria has what it takes to top the group and override Egypt looking at the players in the fold of the National side.

“Nigeria will top the group, while Egypt will be second in the group. This will be possible if the players going for the tournament are picked on merit”.

For Kingsley Itafo Ifoga, Nigeria’s toughest team and obstacle in the group is Egypt, who he says could spring up a surprise by shocking the Super Eagles.

“On Paper, Nigeria is a better team to Egypt, but the Egyptians could top the group with Nigeria qualify as the second team”.

Michael Wells, a soccer analysts on Tungba Radio, said that Guinea Bissau and Sudan are his fear in the group.

“There are no more minnows in African football. Guinea Bissau made their qualification for the 2019 AFCON and didn’t do badly. For them to have qualified for this AFCON shows that they are serious minded that are no push overs.

“It would be recalled that Nigeria recorded a back to back victory over Sudan in the qualification series for the 2019 AFCON defeating Sudan 4-0 and 3-2 respectively, but we narrowly got a win. The Sudanese came from two goals down to draw the game before Ighalo got the needed goal to give us the maximum point.

“So Sudan is a difficult team to play, and I see Egypt been a minimal threat to our qualification from the group, but Guinea Bissau is also a team to be wary of”, he said.

The last time the Super Eagles played Egypt in an international friendly at the Stephen Keshi International Stadium in Delta State, Nigeria, a 58 seconds strike from Paul Onuachu gave the Nigeria team a 1-0 win.

It would also be recalled that at the 2010 AFCON tournament, Egypt defeated Nigeria 3-1 in their opening Group match, despite fielding mostly home based players then headed by Mohammed Aboutrika.

In the other groups, host Nation, the Indomitable Lions of Cameron are paired with Burkina Faso, Cape Verde and Ethiopia.

In Group B, Senegal will play Zimbabwe, Guinea and Malawi.

Group C has the Atlas Lion of Morocco,  Black Stars of Ghana, Comoros and Gabon.

Other groups have; Algeria, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea.

Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania and Gambia are the last team occupying  Group F.