Hegazi: Our performance is improving

CAIRO-20 January 2022: Ahmed Hegazi, Egypt national team defender, stated after the team's qualification to the second round of 2021 Africa Cup of Nations that the Pharaohs' performance is improving with time.

Hegazi was named the man of the match against Sudan after leading the team to finish the group stage with a 1-0 win. 

"We achieved our target and reached the second round. It was an important victory and we played a good game and could have scored more goals." Hegazi said after the match. 

Egypt advanced to the second round after coming second in the group with 6 points, joining Nigeria who finished as group leaders with 9 points.

Hegazi added "We are improving with time. We always want to win and we hope to maintain the winning run in the competition." 

Egypt will face the leader of Group E, which contains Algeria, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone.

The current situation of the group was never expected before the start of the competition as the Algerians, the title holders, are going into their last group stage match with only one point, leaving them with no option but winning over Ivory Coast to avoid an early exit. 

The Ivorians are atop of the group with four points, Equatorial Guinea comes second with three points, one point above Sierra Leone and the four teams still have chances to advance to the second round.