Egypt will kick their preparation for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers into gear when they host Niger at the Borg El Arab Stadium for a friendly fixture at 19:45 GMT.
The Pharaohs will be looking to get the team ready in this international break and gear up for the Group Stage African Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Niger will also be looking to get their squad ready for the grueling qualification process to Africa’s premier national team competition.
Match Preview
Can Egypt Bounce Back to Winning Ways After the Previous Defeat to South Korea in an International Friendly?
Rui Vitória will use the friendly against Niger mainly to get his team ready for the latter stages of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers in Group D.
He will seek to examine his team’s readiness for high-intensity and high-energy performances. Vitória will also be examining some players in the national team setup to determine whether they measure up to expectations.
He will be looking for a reaction to the 4-1 defeat to South Korea in the previous international team. Playing in front of the home fans, he will be expecting a big performance.
After Two Consecutive Draws, Can Niger Get Back to Winning Ways in this Friendly Encounter?
Jean-Michel Cavalli will be keen to examine his team and see how they do when they play against one of Africa’s footballing giants.
The core target for this friendly clash will be to assess Niger’s progress as a team and to prepare them for the Group F Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers that will be underway in the next round of international fixtures.
Cavalli will also be looking to integrate some players into the national team setup by examining them under pressure.
Form Guide
Egypt
The Pharaohs have started their Africa Cup of Nations qualification process, in Group D, with one win and a defeat in two outings.
Their opening match was a 1-0 home win against Guinea and they followed this up with a 2-0 defeat away to Egypt.
Rui Vitória’s men then lost their last friendly match against South Korea, 4-1, away from home.
This match was informative to the manager as he looks to find the right balance in his team to achieve the consistency they need to navigate the qualifiers successfully.
Niger
Jean-Michel Cavalli’s men have collected just two points out of the available six in their opening two fixtures in Group F for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The opening match at home to Tanzania ended in a disappointing 1-1 draw. Their trip to Uganda yielded another point with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.
Jean-Michel Cavalli will use the friendly clash against Egypt on Friday, and the other clash on Sunday against Liberia to get his side ready for the resumption of the qualifiers.
The focus in this friendly clash will be bolstering the balance between attack and defense for Niger; especially finding ways to get his attack scoring goals.
Possible Starting Lineups
Egypt
El Shenawy; O. Gaber, M. Hamdy, Y. El Hanafi, O. K; A. Refaat, A. Hamdy, M. Lasheen, A. Al-Sulaya, I. Adel; M. Mohamed
Niger
Kassaly; R. Alhassane, O. Diabate, A. K. Doudou, A. Garba; Y. Oumarou, A. Sabo; A. Adje, A. Moumouni, M. Wonkoye; D. Sosah
Players to Watch
M. Mohamed
The 24-year-old striker who plays for Ligue 1 side Nantes is currently in good goal-scoring form for both club and country.
The striker offers hard-running and high-intensity attributes up front. He has sufficient pace to worry defenders, he can run in behind, and he can link up with wide players or deep midfielder runners.
His intelligent movement out wide can help create gaps in the defense to exploit in creating chances and scoring goals.
D. Sosah
The 23-year-old striker plays for Isloch Minsk Raion in Belarus. He has scored six goals in 21 appearances for his club this season.
He offers pace and physicality up front, He is also good in the air and can press from the front for the Niger side.
Sosah will be crucial for Niger as they seek to cause an upset against Egypt.
Prediction
Egypt will focus on their game and seek to impose their style on Niger. They will dominate possession and build play patiently through passing.
Niger will be compact and solid, and they will seek to use counter-attacks and set pieces to pose an attacking threat.
Egypt will win the friendly match and bolster their buildup to the AFCON qualifiers.
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