Egypt Secures 26th Africa Cup of Nations Appearance with Comeback Victory Against Guinea
Egypt displayed resilience as they came from behind to defeat Guinea 2-1, securing their place in the Africa Cup of Nations for a record-extending 26th time. The victory also secured top spot in their qualifying group, with one game remaining. The tournament will be hosted in the Ivory Coast next year and Egypt becomes the eighth country to secure qualification for the 24-team event.
Guinea took the lead in the 26th minute through Serhou Guirassy, capitalizing on a well-executed passing move in the box. However, Egypt responded swiftly after the restart, with Mahmoud Trezeguet equalizing with a skillful finish, assisted by captain Mohamed Salah. The match remained evenly contested until the 78th minute when Mostafa Mohamed sealed the win for Egypt with a powerful shot into the top corner of the net.
With this victory, Egypt secures their position at the top of Group D and will have another opportunity to compete for the African crown, a title they have won a record seven times. The match took place in Marrakesh, Morocco, as Guinea’s home stadium was deemed unfit for the competition by the Confederation of African Football inspectors.
While Guinea’s defeat leaves them on nine points, teams Ethiopia and Malawi, with three points each, still have a chance to qualify depending on their match on Tuesday. The Gambia boosted their chances of a return to the tournament with a dramatic 3-2 win over South Sudan, putting them level on points with Mali in Group G. Guinea Bissau’s 1-0 victory over Sao Tome e Principe in the Lusophone derby further enhanced their prospects of qualifying from Group A, where they hold a one-point lead over Nigeria.
The upcoming weekend will see seven more qualifiers taking place in the penultimate round of matches.
