Victory in Angola will ensure top place for Egypt in World Cup qualifying group
Egypt look likely to be the next African nation to win a place in the playoffs for next year’s football World Cup, with the winners of the continent’s 10 qualifying groups to be known next week.
An away victory in Angola on Friday will ensure top place. Yet even if they do not win, their four-point lead in Group F over second place Libya means if Libya drop points in Gabon at the same time then Egypt could secure top spot with a draw. Tunisia, who were also at the last World Cup finals in Russia, will win their group on Saturday with an away success at Equatorial Guinea. But other groups may come down to potentially thrilling showdowns on the final match day with some of Africa’s World Cup regulars facing the threat of elimination.
Ivory Coast’s hopes have been hit by Wilfried Zaha’s withdrawal. The Crystal Palace attacker has asked to sit out the two matches because he says he has not recovered from a virus picked up on his last trip to Africa in October.