Mauritania vs Egypt Prediction: Mohamed Salah to lead Pharaoh’s side to victory

Stade Cheikha Ould Boïdiya will host the AFCON qualifying game between Mauritania and Egypt. The two teams head into this game following a contrasting result in their first leg. Can Mauritania at home turn the tables?

Mauritania started their AFCON qualifier with a win over Botswana and have struggled since then. In game two, this team could not live up to expectations against Cape Verde, losing 2-0. However, last week against Egypt, Mauritania did well in holding their opponent in the first half but struggled in the second. With just one win in their previous eight matches, Mauritania come in as the underdogs in this game. In the Group C AFCON qualifier standings, Mauritania sit bottom with three points, scoring one goal and conceding five. 

Egypt will look to be at their best in this qualifier after a 2-0 win in the first leg. In that game, Egypt had 67 percent of the possession and 18 attacking plays in which 7 shots were on target. However, this team could not break the deadlock until the 69th minute of the game, with Trezeguet putting them in the lead. However, ten minutes after the first goal, their talisman, Mohamed Salah, got his goal to give this team an advantage. Egypt had a perfect record of three wins in three games in this qualifier, leaving them at the top of Group C standings.  

Being at home should not have any decision on this fixture, as Egypt are playing at a high level. However, with Mauritania’s lone victory in the home venue, they hope to repeat that feat. Yet, I do not see this robust and high-level Egypt squad settling for a defeat in this game. Therefore, with the quality of the squad expected to be the difference, a win with at least two goals for Egypt is a good option in this game.