Egypt vs Saudi Arabia match build up #WorldCup
TEAM NEWS
Egypt’s 45-year-old goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary will become the oldest player in World Cup history if he faces Saudi Arabia, but boss Hector Cuper will not confirm if he will play.
The captain was an unused substitute in the opening two games – both defeats – but Egypt now have nothing to play for after being eliminated. Saudi Arabia are without the injured Taiseer Al Jassam, Omar Hawsawi and Mansour Al-Harbi.
They are also out of the tournament.
SAUDI ARABIA LINE UP
21 Yasser Al-Mosailem (Goalkeeper)
13 Yasir Al-Shahrani (Defender)
23 Motaz Hawsawi (Defender)
3 Osama Hawsawi (Defender)
6 Mohammed Al-Burayk (Defender)
14 Abdullah Ateef (Midfielder)
9 Hatan Bahbir (Midfielder)
16 Hussain Al Moqahwi (Midfielder)
19 Fahad Al Muwallad (Midfielder)
18 Salem Al-Dawsari (Midfielder)
7 Salman Al-Faraj (Midfielder)
EGYPT LINE UP
1 Essam El-Hadary (Goalkeeper)
6 Ahmed Hegazy (Defender)
13 Mohamed Abd El-Shafy (Defender)
2 Ali Gabr (Defender)
7 Ahmed Fathi (Defender)
8 Tarek Hamed (Midfielder)
21 Mahmoud Trezeguet (Midfielder)
17 Mohamed Elneny (Midfielder)
19 Abdallah El-Said (Midfielder)
9 Marwan Mohsen (Forward)
10 Mohamed Salah (Forward)
OVERVIEW
Saudi Arabia and Egypt will endeavour to avoid finishing last in Group A as they bow out of the World Cup on Monday.
While the Saudis are yet to score in the tournament, they delivered a much improved performance in their narrow 1-0 defeat by Uruguay and will be hoping to end the tournament with a flourish and their first victory since Saeed Al-Owairan’s wonder strike against Belgium at the 1994 tournament in the USA.
Egypt are looking to win a World Cup match for the first time in their history.
In their first World Cup since 1990, they had been tipped to advance into the knockout rounds after looking strong in the qualifiers.
But star forward Mohamed Salah missed their opening defeat by Uruguay after a shoulder injury and looked short of fitness in their loss to Russia.
The North African side will finish above the Saudis if they draw because of their goal difference.
VIEW FROM BOTH CAMPS
Saudi Arabia coach Juan Antonio Pizzi: “It’s very easy with hindsight, after the results that we have had, to come up with situations that you’d like to change.
“But unfortunately we coaches have to take most of our decisions before things pan out.
“We’ve seen that certain concepts work, we’ve seen alternatives, we’ve tried to bring in new players as well, and this experience that we have had specifically in the run-up to this World Cup has been very important.”
Egypt boss Hector Cuper: “This is an important match because we want to win and finish with a good result. We have prepared for it well and we want to represent the Egyptian people and make them happy with a victory.
“We will play against Saudi Arabia to regain wellness and achieve our new ambitions after the early exit at this World Cup, which was a big shock and blow. The team will be at its best.
“I don’t have a message to those who criticise me. It does not anger me. All I would say is that sometimes ambitions are unrealistic.”
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Both of these teams are already out, and both of them had a very disappointing World Cup.
I think Mohamed Salah’s injury has completely overshadowed Egypt’s time in Russia. I can understand why he gave it a go, but it would probably have been better if they had just said that he was not going to be fit, because I don’t think he was.
Neither of these teams have carried a goal threat and, if you don’t have that in this tournament, then you can just forget it.
Prediction: 1-1
