It is a North African battle at the Africa Cup of Nations as Egypt face Morocco in a quarter final clash on Sunday. A fierce, closely fought encounter is expected here but the Moroccans have looked slightly better in the competition and should have the edge here.
Egypt reached the quarter-finals finals after being taken all the way to penalties by Ivory Coast in their round of 16 clash. Both teams could not be separated after extra-time as Mohamed Salah scored the winning kick for a 5-4 victory in the shootout.
The seven-time African champions have not been at their best in Cameroon but continue to grind their way through the tournament. Carlos Queiroz’s men are unbeaten since the 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in their opening fixture in the competition.
One problem that has plagued Egypt at the AFCON is a lack of cutting edge in attack as they have found the net just twice in four matches. They often struggle to create chances for Mohamed Salah, who has just one goal to his name so far.
Morocco are into the last eight after claiming a 2-1 victory over Malawi in their round of 16 clash. They fell behind early in the contest but struck back on the stroke of half through Youssef En-Nesyri before Achraf Hakimi netted the equaliser.
Valid Halilhodzic’s men are seeking their first AFCON title since 1976 and have shown their quality so far in Cameroon. They are unbeaten in the competition after claiming three wins and a draw from their four matches.
Unlike the Egyptians, Morocco have flexed their attacking muscle in the competition, scoring in every match so far. However, their attacking style could leave them open at the back as they have conceded three goals in their last two matches.
How the bookies view it
Morocco have the edge among the bookies with a win priced at 9/5 with Unibet, who is also offering 9/4 for an Egypt victory. A draw is set at odds of 7/4 by betway.
Head to head
There have been seven previous matches between Egypt and Morocco with both teams claiming two wins each and three draws. The last meeting was a 3-1 victory for the Moroccans during the African Nations Championship in 2017.
Players to watch
Despite finding the net just once in Cameroon, Mohamed Salah still remains the biggest attacking threat for Egypt. Given Morocco's open style, the Liverpool forward could have space to operate and can put the Egyptians on the score sheet at 11/20 with Vbet.
Morocco have shown their attacking quality at the AFCON with Youssef En-Nesyri and Sofiane Boufal off the mark. Even Achraf Hakimi has chipped in with two goals from right-back and all three men can ensure the Moroccans find the net at 42/100 with Vbet.
Anything else catch the eye?
Morocco have looked more dangerous in attack and could be backed to score first on Sunday at 20/21 with Vbet. Their vulnerable backline means both teams could also be tipped to score at 29/20 with Unibet.
The Moroccans have seen over 2.5 goals in their last two matches and a similar outcome is priced at 12/5 with Unibet.
This African Nations Cup match between Egypt and Morocco will be played on Jan 30, 2022 and kick off at 16:00. Check below for our tipsters best Egypt vs Morocco prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
