AFCON
- Thread starter Frogfish
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The Cup of Nations is a competition that feels as though it always has to justify its existence; these last few weeks have not made much of a case either on or off the pitch. The organisation has been generally dismal while, not helped by some poor playing surfaces, much of the football has been grim, with an average of just 1.88 goals per game.
Senegal’s method is to stifle the opposition, take control of midfield and strike late on, something in which they have been aided in the last two games by the returning fitness of Ismaïla Sarr, who has been able to come off the bench and add to their attacking threat. Eight of the nine goals Senegal have scored in the tournament so far have come after the hour. Defensively they have been all but impeccable, letting in only one goal – Jannick Buyla’s kneed volley late in the quarter-final – and conceding nine shots on target in the whole tournament.
Egypt’s method is simply to stifle, the natural caution of Carlos Queiroz combining with their traditional aptitude for time wasting to produce a style that has yielded just four goals in 630 minutes of football. They have let in only two, although they have been offering up 12.33 shots per game, most of which have been from range.
The sense is that their greatest strength is their mental robustness and the way they get in the heads of their opponents – that, and penalties; Egypt have won their last six shootouts, including two here. Although they have beaten only Guinea-Bissau and Sudan in normal time so far in the tournament, they have had a far harder route to the final than Senegal, seeing off Ivory Coast, Morocco and the hosts Cameroon.
And it should never be forgotten how difficult north African sides have always found tournaments in sub-Saharan Africa; Egypt themselves, in 2008 and 2010, are the only north African side ever to have won the Cup of Nations outside north Africa.
But for all that, the lasting impression is of their gamesmanship. The legacy of their veteran goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who had the lowest pain threshold of any man ever to play international football, is secure in the hands of both Mohamed El Shenawy and, after he really did get injured in a confusing boy‑who‑cried‑wolf irony, Mohamed Abou Gabal. Egyptian goalkeeping is a long‑running medical soap opera to rank alongside Casualty or Emergency Ward 10, with Abou Gabal spending much of the semi-final writhing in hopeless agony.
i think I'm going for Senegal 1-0 ... unless Mo brings some magic.
Senegal’s method is to stifle the opposition, take control of midfield and strike late on, something in which they have been aided in the last two games by the returning fitness of Ismaïla Sarr, who has been able to come off the bench and add to their attacking threat. Eight of the nine goals Senegal have scored in the tournament so far have come after the hour. Defensively they have been all but impeccable, letting in only one goal – Jannick Buyla’s kneed volley late in the quarter-final – and conceding nine shots on target in the whole tournament.
Egypt’s method is simply to stifle, the natural caution of Carlos Queiroz combining with their traditional aptitude for time wasting to produce a style that has yielded just four goals in 630 minutes of football. They have let in only two, although they have been offering up 12.33 shots per game, most of which have been from range.
The sense is that their greatest strength is their mental robustness and the way they get in the heads of their opponents – that, and penalties; Egypt have won their last six shootouts, including two here. Although they have beaten only Guinea-Bissau and Sudan in normal time so far in the tournament, they have had a far harder route to the final than Senegal, seeing off Ivory Coast, Morocco and the hosts Cameroon.
And it should never be forgotten how difficult north African sides have always found tournaments in sub-Saharan Africa; Egypt themselves, in 2008 and 2010, are the only north African side ever to have won the Cup of Nations outside north Africa.
But for all that, the lasting impression is of their gamesmanship. The legacy of their veteran goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary, who had the lowest pain threshold of any man ever to play international football, is secure in the hands of both Mohamed El Shenawy and, after he really did get injured in a confusing boy‑who‑cried‑wolf irony, Mohamed Abou Gabal. Egyptian goalkeeping is a long‑running medical soap opera to rank alongside Casualty or Emergency Ward 10, with Abou Gabal spending much of the semi-final writhing in hopeless agony.
i think I'm going for Senegal 1-0 ... unless Mo brings some magic.
Looking forward to watching..be nice if Senegal (Mane) won for first time..also be nice if Egypt (Mo won) there can not be two winners, only one team wins so I will go for Senegal ! 😀
https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sport...f-time-tv-channel-africa-cup-of-nations-2022/
https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sport...f-time-tv-channel-africa-cup-of-nations-2022/
And missed
Oh. I had just turned on and commentator must have mentioned Mané as taker not the player fouled.
Sorry…
pretty much
Hmmm I'm wasted here. Points Bradley back up the thread.
I’ve barely seen him touch the ball though, it can’t have been that taxing
Sure it's only a wee tournament so I haven't been paying much attention.
not sure how they’d make me, I’d rather take the bullet
Have to fancy Egypt if it goes to penalties
If Salah leaves us I hope Mané wins it. If Salah was to stay then I want Egypt to win it.
we will know then, by who wins tonight...
The exact opposite of what I want.
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