Egypt kicks off their CAF Africa Cup of Nations journey today (17:00 GMT), aiming to surpass their heart-wrenching final penalty shootout to a Sadio Mané inspired Senegal two years ago.

Having made it to the final in five of their last six AFCON participations, Egypt boasts an impressive record, losing only once in their last 19 AFCON group matches – a narrow 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in 2021, marking the sole goal conceded in their last 11 group games.

Despite their runner-up finish in previous edition, Mohamed Salah and the team aim to redeem themselves, eyeing a record extending eighth tournament win. The journey begins with a Group B opener against Mozambique at the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.

Egypt qualified for AFCON 2023 by topping Group D, finishing with 15 points from six matches. Captain Salah, in stellar form, enters the tournament with 14 Premier League goals for Liverpool this season and a total of 18 in all competitions, accompanied by eight assists.

Salah is not the sole scorer for Egypt; Omar Marmoush’s Bundesliga success with Eintracht Frankfurt contributes to the team’s attacking prowess, while Mostafa Mohamed’s 14 goals in Ligue 1 showcase their diversified scoring options.

As the most successful team in AFCON history with seven titles, Egypt seeks to maintain their prominence in the tournament, having been finalists in five of the last six editions.

Mozambique, appearing in their fifth AFCON and first since 2010, aim to secure their first tournament win. Despite previous struggles, their qualification ahead of Benin and Rwanda marks a significant achievement.

Watch out for Geny Catamo, a key player for Mozambique, as they face a challenging yet celebratory journey in Ivory Coast. In the head-to-head history, this will be the fourth encounter between Egypt and Mozambique at AFCON, with Egypt winning the previous three encounters 2-0 in 1986, 1998, and 2010.

The last clash saw an own goal from Dario Khan and a late goal from Mohamed Gedo, who later secured Egypt’s victory in the final against Ghana in 2010.