“What I mean by 16 players is that each one
must make the effort of two players, not just one player,” said the
Mozambique-born former Real Madrid manager and twice Manchester United
assistant manager.
“We deservedly won the first leg against
the best team in Africa and now we are going to Senegal to fight for every
metre, every loose ball. Every Egyptian must double his efforts.”
A play-off that pits Liverpool stars
Mohamed Salah of Egypt and Sadio Mane of Senegal against each other is a repeat
of the recent Africa Cup of Nations final, which Senegal won on penalties after
a 0-0 draw.
Here, AFP Sport looks ahead to the second
legs on Tuesday that will decide which five African teams go to the 2022 World
Cup in Qatar.
Senegal v Egypt
Senegal coach Aliou Cisse says he does not
want to see supporters wearing suits in the recently completed Stade du Senegal
near Dakar when they confront Egypt.
“We need more fanaticism when it comes to
supporting our national team, like they do in Egypt and other north African
countries,” he says.
“Those who wear suits to football matches
must give their tickets to Senegalese supporters who wear football jerseys. We
want to see only green, yellow and red (national flag colours) in the stands.”
The outcome could hinge on Egypt snatching
an ‘away’ goal — if they do Senegal will face the mammoth task of scoring at
least three times to qualify.
Nigeria v Ghana
New Ghana coach Otto Addo is optimistic
that the Black Stars can reach the World Cup despite being held 0-0 at home by
Nigeria in the first leg.
“The pressure if off us and on them,” he
believes. “It was crucial that we did not conceded at home and any score draw
in the return match takes us through.
“Our players recovered superbly from a
terrible Cup of Nations campaign in January, matched Nigeria throughout the 90
minutes and created more scoring chances.”
Star Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen admits
the pressure is on the Super Eagles, saying “this match is about much more than
football — the nation is relying on us to triumph”.
Algeria v Cameroon
Cameroon coach Rigobert Song, who succeeded
sacked Portuguese Toni Conceicao after the Cup of Nations hosts came third last
month, says star forward Vincent Aboubakar should be fit to face Algeria.
The captain has been battling a heel
problem and was taken off at half-time of the first leg in Douala, which
Cameroon lost 1-0 with Islam Slimani nodding the match-winner off a late
first-half free-kick.
“We are sure Vincent will be available,”
said Song, hoping the skipper, and fellow attackers Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
and Karl Toko Ekambi, can turn the tables.
It is a tall order as the match is set for
Blida, 50 kilometres (30 miles) southwest of Algiers, and the Stade Mustapha
Tchaker is called the “slaughterhouse” because Algeria regularly win handsomely
there.
Morocco v DR Congo
“Egypt rely heavily on Salah, Senegal on
Mane and Algeria on (Riyad) Mahrez,” says Morocco coach Vahid Halilhodzic, “but
Morocco rely on 11 players.”
The Bosnian coach was walking a tightrope
by refusing to choose Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech and Ajax Amsterdam full-back
Noussair Mazraoui after a quarter-finals exit from the recent Cup of Nations.
When Halilhodzic attended a recent Wydad
Casablanca match, many in the crowd chanted support for Ziyech, who the coach
considers a “disruptive influence”.
But after a poor start in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, where they conceded once and could have trailed by three
goals, Morocco missed a penalty and then equalised to force a 1-1 draw.
Tunisia v Mali
Four crazy minutes in Bamako for Mali
defender Moussa Sissako gave Tunisia a 1-0 first-leg lead and, with home
advantage, the Carthage Eagles are expected to seal a sixth World Cup
appearance.
Sissako conceded an own goal on 36 minutes
and was then sent off for a last-defender foul on Seifeddine Jaziri, which
automatically rules him out of the return match.
Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri refused to accept
that his team are almost there, however, warning his team that “the return
match will be even more difficult”.
Mali captain and defender Hamari Traore, a
first-leg absentee due to a suspension, says “our players had sweat-soaked
jerseys trying to stage a comeback last Friday. We have the means and will to
succeed.”
AFP