Pre-Match Facts & Figures: Egypt vs Ghana | Cape Verde vs Mozambique
TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Group B action resumes on Thursday, 18 January in Abidjan with another round of exciting fixtures.
Egypt take on Ghana while Cape Verde face Mozambique in the later kick off. CAFOnline takes a look at some interesting facts and figures ahead of the two matches.
Egypt vs Ghana
● This will be the fifth encounter between Egypt and Ghana at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations. They have met three times previously in the group stages (one win each, one draw and two goals each) and once in the final, which Egypt won in 2010 (1-0).
● Egypt have won their last two matches against Ghana at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (1-0 in the 2010 final, 1-0 in the 2017 group stages).
● The four previous matches between Egypt and Ghana at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations have produced only five goals.
● Egypt have lost just one of their last 20 CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage matches (W14 D5), a 1-0 defeat to Nigeria in 2022. Following their 2-2 draw with Mozambique on MD1, the Pharaohs will be looking to avoid failing to win either of their first two group games in a tournament since doing so in 1992, which included defeat to Ghana on MD2.
● Ghana suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cabo Verbe on MD1 of the 2023 CAF Africa Cup of Nations. The Black Stars haven’t lost their first two matches in a tournament since 1984, losing to Nigeria and Algeria.
● Egypt shipped two goals in their 2-2 draw with Mozambique on MD1 of this year’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations, having only shipped two goals in a game in one of their previous 28 matches at the tournament, losing 2-1 to Cameroon in the 2017 final. They also conceded with both of the shots on target they faced against Mozambique, with 25% of their touches in the opposition box resulting in a goal (2/8).
● Ghana are winless in their last five matches at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (D2 L3), their longest ever winless run in the competition. They have lost their last two matches (2-3 vs Comoros in 2022, 1-2 vs Cabo Verde on MD1 this year), never before losing three in a row at AFCON.
● Four of Ghana’s last five goals at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations have come via a set piece (three corners, one free kick), with the last two both scored by defender Alexander Djiku. The last Ghana player to score three consecutive goals for them at AFCON was Mubarak Wakaso in 2013.
● Mohammed Salah’s first goal for Egypt at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations came against Ghana, in 2017 (1-0). In fact, he’s scored in each of his last two appearances against the Black Stars: in a FIFA World Cup qualifier in 2016 and at the 2017 AFCON.
● Egypt’s Mohamed Salah has scored seven goals the CAF Africa Cup of Nations for the Pharaohs, now behind only Hassan El-Shazly (12), Hossam Hassan (11) and Ahmed Hassan (8) in the list of leading Egyptian scorers in the competition. He also became the first Egyptian player to score at four different AFCON tournaments (2017, 2019, 2022, 2023), thanks to his late penalty against Mozambique on MD1.
Cape Verde vs Mozambique
● This will be the first encounter between Cabo Verde and Mozambique at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
● Cabo Verde are unbeaten in their last three matches against Mozambique (W2 D1). They all came in qualifiers for the CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
● Cabo Verde registered their third ever win at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations (D6 L3), with their last two wins coming on MD1 (also 1-0 vs Ethiopia in 2022). They have never won consecutive games at AFCON before.
● Mozambique remain winless at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 13 attempts (D3 L10), although in their 2-2 draw with Egypt they went ahead in a match (2-1 up) for just the second time, also doing so in 1996 against Tunisia (1-0 up, drew 1-1).
● Cabo Verde have only lost one of 10 CAF Africa Cup of Nations group stage matches (W3 D6), although that one defeat did come on MD2 of the 2022 tournament, losing 1-0 to Burkina Faso.
● Mozambique are still yet to keep a clean sheet at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations in 13 attempts, conceding 28 goals and shipping at least twice in 12 of those games. Only Zimbabwe (15 games) ever played more matches at AFCON without at least one shutout.
● Two of Cabo Verde’s three winning goals at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations have been scored in the 90th minute, with Héldon scoring against Angola in 2013 and Garry Rodrigues against Ghana this year. The other was netted in first half stoppage time in 2022 by Júlio Tavares vs Ethiopia.
● Cabo Verde had 15 shots in their 2-1 win over Ghana on MD1 of this year’s CAF Africa Cup of Nations, more than they’d managed in their previous three games in the competition combined (13). It was the most they’d attempted in an AFCON game since January 2015 vs Congo DR (also 15).
● All six of Mozambique’s goals at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations have been scored by different players – four of those six have been scored between the 54th and 58th minutes, including both in their 2-2 draw against Egypt on MD1 this year (Witi in 55th minute, Clésio in 58th).
● Garry Rodrigues has two goals at the CAF Africa Cup of Nations for Cabo Verde, scoring both as a substitute. In those two sub appearances, he’s had more shots on target (3) than he’s managed in the four AFCON games he’s started (1).