Egypt leads the charge in AFCON preparations with a strategic edge over Group B rivals

Egypt appears to be the most strategically prepared team among Bafana Bafana’s Group B rivals for the upcoming AFCON tournament.

In contrast to prior years, Egypt has opted for a squad predominantly composed of domestically based players. Coach Hossam Hassan has demonstrated notable foresight by anticipating FIFA’s restrictions, which have led clubs to release players only six days before the tournament begins.

Consequently, Hassan began training with the majority of his squad as their camp kicked off in Cairo on Wednesday, utilising the official ball for the 2025 AFCON.

The squad currently includes only four players based abroad: Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool talisman and Egypt’s AFCON captain, Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush, as well as Mostafa Mohamed (Nantes), Hamdy Fathy (Al-Wakrah, Qatar), and Ibrahim Adel (Al Jazira, United Arab Emirates). They join the squad on Tuesday.

Salah will leave for Afcon with uncertainty that he will return to Liverpool with reports already making rounds that the Saudi league clubs are cooking up an offer to release him from Liverpool.

As part of their preparations, Egypt, a seven-time AFCON champion, is scheduled to play a friendly against Nigeria, a three-time AFCON champion, next Wednesday at the Cairo International Stadium.

This game will provide valuable experience, as the expected turnout will create an authentic tournament atmosphere.

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos is aware that many AFCON teams will face challenges in preparing their squads due to FIFA regulations.

He expressed his enthusiasm by saying, “I’m thrilled to be coaching a team where most players are local talents. It gives us the advantage of starting our camp right away. I can’t say the same for my colleagues in other countries, who may not be as fortunate at this time.”

Angola, another Group B rival, commenced a 10-day training camp in Portugal on Monday. During their stay, they will participate in two friendly matches against DR Congo and Mozambique.

Following the training camp, the squad will travel directly to Morocco on December 18. Coach Patrice Beaumelle expressed concerns that returning to Angola could pose a distraction. The team has selected a maximum squad size of 28 players.

The other Group B team, Zimbabwe, have been preparing under the guidance of their new coach, Marian Marinica. Training kicked off on Tuesday in Harare. Plans for a camp in Spain to mirror the conditions of Morocco, but their federation abandoned it due to travel concerns.

Marinica, their Romanian gaffer, expressed his disappointment when FIFA backtracked on the timeline for clubs releasing players for AFCON duty. “To be honest, it’s very tough. What happened with CAF is really, really tough,” he shared, adding the camp will end on Monday.

The team will fly out to Morocco on Tuesday and arrive on Wednesday (17).

“On the 18th, the players will dive into a recovery session to restore their energy, with games starting just a few days later. “That is what’s on the ground. We must adjust and work very hard to try and be at our best,” he emphasised.

More bad news for Zimbabwe is that vice-captain Marshall Munetsi, who plays for the Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, will miss the Africa Cup of Nations due to injury.