AFCON 2020 Match 14: Egypt v Sudan: Egypt Back on Track with Win over Neighbours

The following article provides an oversight for matches and tournaments taking place in 2020.

AFCON 2020 Match 14: Egypt v Sudan

Egypt Back on Track with Win over Neighbours

June 19, 2020

Egypt 3 Sudan 1

 

AFCON hosts Egypt returned to a winning style of play with a 3-1 win over Sudan in the second match of the group stages.

 

The Egyptians needed a win against their neighbours, having drawn their opener against Mali. To do so, the host nation’s coach swapped Trezeguet for Ahmed Hassan at left midfield. Sudan, having lost to São Tomé and Príncipe in their opening match, maintained the same starting eleven.

 

The Sudanese put pressure on Hassan early as they worked down his wing, resulting only in long-range shots that were easily blocked. However, it was three offsides in quick succession that kept Sudan away from goal.

 

Finally, Sudan reworked their runs, adjusting to using through balls and timing their runs later. Mohamed Al-Rashed had a shot from a tight angle easily parried by Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenamy. However, the resulting corner ended up hitting the underside of the crossbar and over the line after Ramadan El-Agab rose above all others to header home the opener in the nineteenth minute.

 

Al-Rashed nearly doubled the lead two minutes from a similar spot to his earlier attempt, only he over-adjusted his shot to bypass El Shenamy and missed the whole goal.

 

Egypt finally entered the match in the 28th minute when Mohamed Salah stole the ball in a precarious position and set up Marwan Mohsen for a shot that required goalkeeper Ali Abu Eshrein to close it down.

 

Instead, in the 38th minute, Mohsen set up a cross from the by-line for Abdalla Said to complete the equalising goal with his head.

 

Sudan went on the attack, hoping to restore the lead. This led to a shot by Waleed Hamid, after the cross came from left back Abdellatif Boya. Later, El-Agab had his shot blocked, before Hamid had another attempt, only for the ball to dribble wide of the mark.

 

Straight after the break, Said nearly had his second; the ball rebounded off his body and landed at the chest of the goalkeeper.

 

Hassan should have had a penalty when he was tripped from behind as he lined up for a goal after courageously stealing the ball multiple times off the Sudanese players in the same piece of play. Instead, Sudan countered, with Ahmed Mahmoud taking a shot from long range.

 

Egypt then countered themselves, with Salah shooting from a tight angle. The Sudanese goalkeeper managed to parry the ball to safety. He was unable to stop the next attack, as Salah crossed from the right wing to the head of Mohsen, who made no mistake.

 

Searching for a third Egyptian goal, Hassan’s shot fell straight to Abu Eshrein. Salah then, cutting back in from the left wing this time, shot too slowly, allowing Abu Eshrein an easy save.

 

In the 75th minute, Salah and Trezeguet (off the bench) combined in a beautiful piece of one-touch passing. The latter made no mistake with his first shot of the match.

 

Tarek Hamed then had a shot for a fourth; his attempt right in front of goal was parried away, and his follow-up shot resulted in an injury, which may prove telling for their third match against São Tomé and Príncipe.

 

Important aspects of the match:

            El-Agab’s 19th-minute goal.

            Said’s 38th-minute goal.

            Mohsen’s 61st-minute goal.

            Trezeguet’s goal in the 75th minute.

            Egypt with nine shots on target compared to five.

            Sudan with the better passing accuracy.

 

            Salah deemed Player of the Match with two assists.

            Mohsen with most passes for Egypt; Said with most dribbles for Egypt.

            Ahmed Hegazy with three key clearances; one intercept and one block.

 

             El-Agab with most dribbles overall; Ahmed Adam with most tackles overall as well as four key clearances and two intercepts; Athar El-Tahir with most passes overall.