Tension is expected to characterize tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations finals between Ghana and Egypt.

Ghana’s Black Stars would be seeking to win their fifth African title since 1982 while the Pharaohs chase their seventh.

The youthful Black Stars have so far defied all odds to qualify for the finals of Africa’s biggest competition with wins over Burkina Faso, host nation Angola and Nigeria, while the Egyptians are yet to drop a point after winning all their group matches against Nigeria, Mozambique and Benin as well as wins over Cameroon and Algeria in the quarter and semi finals.

On paper, the Pharaohs would start as favorites but the Stars who have so far surprised the pundits of the game, could spring a surprise in the highly anticipated finals that would kick start at 4:30pm.

Coach Hassan Shehata would be hoping to make history as the first coach to win the Nations Cup on three successive occasions. But against the Black Stars, he would have to delve deep into his strategies to beat the tactical Ghanaians.

Egypt has always found it difficult to beat Ghana in the Nations Cup as they lost 0-1 to the Black Stars the last time they clashed in the competition. In 2009, the two sides played to a goalless drawn game in a friendly in Cairo.

According to information gathered by this paper, Coach Milovan Rajevac is considering pairing strikers Matthew Amoah and Asamoah Gyan upfront. He is also expected to partner Anthony Annan and Agyemang Badu in central midfield and then give a free role to Kwadwo Asamoah.

The Egyptian coach is also expected to partner Hamburg’s Mohammed Zidan and Emad Moetab in attack.

In the third place game that takes place today, the Super Eagles of Nigeria would clash with the Desert Foxes of Algeria. By Charles Nixon Yeboah

Source: Daily Guide