Egypt vs DR Congo prediction, odds and preview

Egypt will be looking for inspiration when they take on DR Congo in the last 16 of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Sunday night.

The Pharaohs finished second in Group C above Ghana and below Cape Verde who finished top of the group.

They did that with a draw against Cape Verde in their final group game with Ghana failing to beat Mozambique in the other game.

In Group B, the Pharaohs edged Ghana and Mozambique with three 2-2 draws, but their opponents here managed to finish second to Zambia and Tanzania.

Something must give in this knockout match as Egypt attempts to avenge defeats in the 2017 and 2021 AFCON finals.

They will have to do it without Mohamed Salah, who has returned to Liverpool injured and may only be able to play in the latter stages if he can quickly regain his fitness.

DR Congo, a two-time Cup of Nations champion, has only won one knockout match since 1998.

Along with Salah’s unavailability, Egyptian midfielder Emam Ashour was ruled out of this match on Wednesday after suffering a concussion while attempting an overhead kick in training.

Mohamed El-Shennawy, the custodian, is also out of action after suffering an injury in the dramatic group decider against Cape Verde.