The Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 will feature Egypt taking on Congo DR at Stade Laurent Pokou on Sunday evening.

The victor in this clash will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will meet either Equatorial Guinea or Guinea, set to compete earlier in the day in Abidjan.

Match Preview: Before the tournament commenced, few could have anticipated Egypt, the seven-time champions, reaching the last 16 without securing a single win in the group stages. The Pharaohs managed only three points in their three group matches, all drawn with a 2-2 scoreline.

Rui Vitoria’s squad exhibited a mixed performance in the group stages, including a resilient showing against Ghana, where they twice came from behind. Despite a turbulent final group stage fixture, Egypt aims for a smoother result, though history suggests that might involve a penalty shootout.

Nevertheless, The Pharaohs draw confidence from their positive history against Congo DR, having lost only one of their five Africa Cup of Nations encounters, winning three and drawing the other.

Congo DR’s journey to the last 16 mirrors Egypt’s, drawing all three group-stage fixtures. Sebastien Desabre’s side has faced a recent struggle, failing to win any of their last six matches in all competitions, with only one victory in their last 10.

Of the teams qualifying for the round of 16, Congo DR scored the second-fewest goals in the group stage (2), surpassed only by Namibia (1).

Despite advancing from the group stage in their last four AFCON appearances, Congo DR faced early exits in 2019 and 2017, signaling a challenging path in knockout matches.

Team Form:

• Egypt AFCON form: DDD
• Egypt all competitions form: WWWDDD
• Congo DR AFCON form: DDD
• Congo DR all competitions form: LDLDDD

Team News: Egypt will miss Mohamed Salah due to injury, relying on Mostafa Mohamed for the attack. Goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy is also unavailable, with Mohamed Abou Gabal taking his place. Midfielder Emam Ashour is ruled out with a concussion.

For Congo DR, defender Henock Inonga’s availability remains uncertain due to a head injury. Yoane Wissa and Cedric Bakambu are key players in their attacking lineup.

Possible Starting Lineups:

• Egypt: Gabal; Hany, Hegazy, Abdelmonem, Fotouh; Fathi, Attia, Elneny; Zizo, Mohamed, Marmoush
• Congo DR: Mpasi; Kalulu, Mbemba, Batubinsika, Masuaku; Pickel, Moutoussamy; Silas, Kakuta, Bakambu; Wissa

Prediction: We anticipate a closely contested match, with Egypt securing a 2-1 victory. The seven-time champions may have struggled in the tournament, but their experience could prove crucial. Congo DR’s resilience may keep the match level, potentially exposing gaps for Egypt to exploit on the counter-attack. While the match could extend, we predict Egypt to progress to the next round.