A place in the quarter-final of the Africa Cup of Nations is at stake as Egypt and DR Congo go head-to-head. Which of these teams will come out on top after 90 minutes?
Egypt vs DR Congo overview
This Round of 16 game will be played on Sunday January 28 at the Laurent Pokou Stadium. Kick-off time is 9 pm WAT.
Egypt
Egypt have had a disappointing AFCON campaign so far. Although they made it past the group stages, the Pharaohs did not win any of their games.
Rui Vitoria's men played out three consecutive 2-2 draws in the group stages, they'll have to get back to winning ways if they intend to reach the last eight.
DR Congo
Interestingly, DR Congo also drew all of their group games. As a matter of fact, only two teams had three draws from three group games, and both teams will square off against each other on Sunday.
Egypt vs DR Congo head to head
The first encounter between these teams took place in February 1970 at the Africa Cup of Nations. These outfits have clashed eight times, and those meetings have been one-sided.
As a matter of fact, DR Congo have never beaten the Pharaohs of Egypt, they have two draws and six losses in those eight skirmishes.
Interestingly, those two draws were in friendly games, the Leopards lost every time they squared off against Egypt in a competitive match. The most recent clash between these teams was in AFCON 2019.
Egypt vs DR Congo potential lineups
It's worth keeping an eye out for Mostafa Mohamed. The Egyptian was the only player to score in all group games at AFCON 2024.
Rui Vitoria will still be without Mohamed Salah, who is recovering from an injury. The Portuguese coach is expected to adopt a 4-3-3 formation for this game, with Mohamed El-Shenawy starting between the sticks.
On the other hand, Sebastien Desabre will not be able to call upon the services of Edo Kayembe, as the Watford player is in the recovery room.
DR Congo will likely line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Brentford's Yoane Wissa leading the attack.
With that being said, these are our probable Egypt vs DR Congo lineups:
Egypt
Goalkeeper: Abou Gabal.
Defenders: Ahmed Fatouh, Mohamed Abdelmonem, Ahmed Hegazy, Mohamed Hany.
Midfielders: Emam Ashour, Marwan Attia, Hamdi Fathi.
Forwards: Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Mohamed, Zizo.
DR Congo
Goalkeeper: Lionel M'Pasi.
Defenders: Arthur Masuaku, Dylan Batubinsika, Chancel Mbemba, Gedeon Kalulu.
Midfielders: Samuel Moutoussamy, Charles Pickel, Omenuke Mfulu.
Forwards: Fiston Mayele, Yoane Wissa, Katompa Mvumpa.
Egypt vs DR Congo tactical analysis
We've already established that Egypt's group games ended in stalemates. It's also fair to point out that they are currently on an eight-match unbeaten run, with four wins and four draws.
The Pharaohs have scored and conceded their fair share of goals, with all of their group games ending by the same 2-2 scoreline.
In contrast, although DR Congo also drew all their group matches, they are without a win in their last five matches in all competitions.
Desabre's side scored in three of their last four matches, whilst keeping one clean sheet in that stretch.
Egypt vs DR Congo prediction
Considering how these teams played in the group stages, a draw should be the obvious choice here. However, our Egypt vs DR Congo prediction is actually on the BTTS market.
Both teams got on the scoresheet in Egypt's last three games, three of DR Congo's last four matches too. For this reason, we should expect goals at both ends.
Where to watch Egypt vs DR Congo live
OnTime Sports and beIN Sports are TV options for fans who live in Egypt. Meanwhile those who reside in DR Congo can tune into RTNC and Supersport for live coverage of this match.
