Egypt vs D.R. Congo Prediction: The Pharaohs to make it to next round

Competing for a coveted spot in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarterfinals, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of Congo will clash this Sunday in the Ivorian city of San Pédro. Despite both nations maintaining an unbeaten run in this AFCON, they will strive to deliver top-level performances to secure their passage to the quarterfinals. Let's delve into the details of this contest and make a prediction.

Egypt has faced challenges in the current AFCON, particularly with the absence of their talisman Mohamed Salah due to injury. The team, despite being the 2021 finalists, has yet to secure a win in regular time during the group stage, with three draws (D3). The draws came against Mozambique, Ghana, and Cape Verde, all ending in 2-2 results. Fortunately, these three draws were sufficient to secure second place for the record seven-time AFCON winners.

The notable absence of Salah may not prove fatal for Egypt, as other players have stepped up to score five of their six goals in the tournament. Although Egypt was eliminated at this stage in 2019, their track record includes making the final in five of their last six AFCON appearances, providing them with a psychological edge despite their current form challenges.

Fate has led the Democratic Republic of Congo to draw all three of their group games, setting the stage for one team to secure their first victory of the tournament in this upcoming match. The Leopards' draws have been notable for their low-scoring nature, with only two goals scored across the three group games. However, one of those goals came in a spirited stalemate against tournament favorites Morocco.

A victory for DR Congo in this match would be historic, as they have suffered multi-goal defeats in both of their prior AFCON head-to-heads against Egypt. The prospect of another challenging evening looms, particularly considering that Sébastien Desabre's team has emerged victorious in just one of their last ten international matches. Moreover, nine of these matches produced under 2.5 total goals, highlighting their recent trend of low-scoring encounters.

Egypt possible starting lineup:

El Shenawy; Abdelmonem, Hegazy, El Fotouch, Mohamed Hany, Hamdi Fathi, Ashour, Eleny, Zizo, Marmoush, Mostafa

DR Congo possible starting lineup:

Batubinsika, Mbemba, Masuaku, Kalulu, Pickel, Moutoussamy, Mayele, Silas, Kakuta, Wissa

Despite both teams reaching this stage of the competition without convincing performances, Egypt holds the advantage in terms of a better squad and experience in this fixture. The absence of their star player, Mohamed Salah, due to injury could pose a challenge for Egypt, but they still have a clear edge. On the other hand, the Democratic Republic of Congo has struggled in front of goal, and Egypt might capitalize on this weakness by focusing on offensive play.

In a match that is expected to be close, the prediction is for Egypt to come out on top and advance to the quarterfinals.