By Emmanuel Okogba

Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face the Pharaohs of Egypt in the first match of Group D on January 11th 2022 when both teams open their campaign in the postponed AFCON 2021.

Both teams are not strangers to this competition as Egypt holds the record of being the most successful side having won it 7 times, while Nigeria has 3 titles to boast of – the last one coming in Nelson Mandela’s South Africa eight years ago.

The fixture will make it the 9th time both teams would be meeting at the finals and will be the game to look forward to in a group that also has Sudan and Guinea Bissau.

Since their consecutive wins in 2006, 2008 and 2010, the Egyptians have been a shadow of themselves, waiting until 2017 before they made it to the final again which they lost to next year’s host Cameroon.

Talisman, Mohammed Salah who lights up the English Premier League has not replicated same form when it comes to the continental showpiece.

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For Nigeria’s Super Eagles, the 2013 triumph was followed by forgettable attempts at qualifying for the 2015 and 2017 editions. The same fate befell the team after the 1994 win where they pulled out of the 1996 edition in South Africa and were banned from that of 1998.

As expected after the draw, mind games have begun as coaches of both teams have said that no one is the favourite, emphasizing that no team in today’s football should be seen as pushovers.

Describing the draw as tricky, Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr said, “The first game is very important; Nigeria-Egypt, it’s a very good game and we would see, we have to finish top two in the group to go into last 16, it’s not an easy group but we are very confident’”

Egypt’s coach Hossam El-Badry whose team is seen as favourite to win the group said that although the group is quite balanced, there’s no easy game as all teams on the continent have improved in the game.

“Our group was quite balanced and not easy due to the improvement of all these teams, who also have great players,” he told Kingfut.

“I have great confidence in God and in the capabilities of the players to overcome this group and perform well to satisfy the aspirations of the Egyptian fans.

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“The coaching staff and I are thinking about each stage separately.”

Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick believes that the draw was fair and hopes that the national team can replicate the 2013 performance.

He wrote: “I strongly believe it was a fair draw for us, in football there are no minnows but by HIS GRACE our target is the trophy. We will work assiduously and pray ceaselessly towards achieving that feat.”

The match is billed for the Roumdé-Adjia Stadium in the city of Garoua.

See Egypt vs Nigeria AFCON head-to-head below

1963: Group Stage [Egypt win]

1976: Second Round [Egypt win]

1980: Group Stage [Nigeria win]

1984: Semi Final [Nigeria win]

1988: Group Stage [draw]

1990: Group Stage [Nigeria win]

1994: Group Stage [draw]

2010: Group Stage [Egypt win]

Nigeria = 3 wins

Egypt = 3 wins

Draws = 2

Vanguard News Nigeria