Two mouthwatering quarter-final contests being played on Sunday evening lie in store for lovers of the beautiful game as giants Egypt and Morocco lock horns in the highly billed North African Derby with the Lions of Teranga clashing with Equitorial Guinea for a chance to advance to the semis of the Africa Cup of Nations 2021.While all the focus will be on the North Africans, Senegal will be looking to get the job done in their pairing with Equitorial Guinea who by all means will be a test of their resolve. Ahead of the games, here is a preview of what to expect.Egypt vs MoroccoA clash of titans is expected to unravel at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde when the Pharaohs of Egypt take on the Atlas Lions from Morocco in the first quarter-final match on Sunday.⏭️𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐔𝐏: #TeamMorocco The Pharaohs are going to face Morocco in the #AFCON2021 Quarterfinals on Sunday at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in Yaounde🇪🇬🙏#ThePharaohs 🇪🇬 #AFCON2021 #EGYMAR pic.twitter.com/RkEEhdcdc9— Egypt National Football Team (@ThePharaohs_) January 27, 2022 Record champions Egypt who are gunning for an eighth title in the tournament will be seeking to overcome their biggest challenge yet when they meet a Morocco side that has so far looked like the surest team in all their performances.Having had a slow start with a 1-0 loss at the hands of Nigeria, the Egyptians have successfully turned around their fortunes as they have beaten Guinea Bissau and Sudan, before needing penalties to oust Cote d’Ivoire. In all those three games, the Carlos Quiero-coached side has not let in even a single goal.3.40 Egypt 2.80 Morocco 2.65On the other hand, one-time champions Morocco are on a quest to end their over 35-year wait for a second title with the first coming way back in 1976.Having won three games and drawn once in the ongoing tournament, the Vahid Halilhodzic-led side will be looking to present their strongest statement of intent yet when they take on Egypt.AFCON 2021: Toko Ekambi’s double against Gambia sends Cameroon to the semisThis will be the seventh AFCON encounter between the two sides with Morocco winning three of the previous six (D1 L2), although Egypt won the most recent such match in the quarter-finals in 2017 (1-0).The match kicks off at 1800EAT.Tickets punched to the #AFCON2021 semifinals today: —Cameroon 🇨🇲—Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 pic.twitter.com/svvuP6ZneB— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 29, 2022 Senegal vs Equatorial GuineaWith Liverpool ace Sadio Mane having been passed fit for the quarters following his concussion, Senegal will be out to navigate the challenge posed by dark horses E. Guinea at the Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium.Despite putting in unconvincing performances since the start of the tournament where the team has two wins, two draws and have only scored three goals without conceding any so far, the Lions of Teranga have managed to get the job done when needed.Sadio est en forme 😊 ❤️🔥 🇸🇳 #teamsenegal pic.twitter.com/SFwxQQqMPo— Football (@FootballSenegal) January 27, 2022 With their star-laden squad, the team will be hoping to find the right gear as they chase their dream of a first-ever AFCON title in their history.“We are going to approach this match as we have done before, with humility and confidence. We will play against a good team from Equatorial Guinea that we know well. We have great respect for this team which has good players. We have been gaining momentum since the start of the competition and we will play our best football to get to the semi-finals. Sadio Mané is doing better and we hope to get him back for tomorrow’s game,” head coach Aliou Cisse remarked.1.65 Senegal 3.50 Equitorial Guinea 7.25For the opponents, the question will be whether they have any more tricks left in them to cause any further upsets.After a narrow defeat to Ivory Coast, Nzalang Nacional stunned holders Algeria and Sierra Leone to reach the Round of 16 where they surprised Mali to go through.Participating in the tournament for the third time in their history, Equitorial Guinea will be hoping to match their 2015 performance when they reached the semis.AFCON 2021: Final four for Burkina Faso! Sluggish Tunisia fail to tame the StallionsRemarkably, Equitorial Guinea hold the head to head advantage as they beat Senegal 2-1 in the group stages back in 2012 in the only AFCON clash between the two sides.“Our team is ready, both physically and mentally. We respect Senegal, runners up of the previous edition. It will be a final for us, and we will play our game to put on a good match and go as far as possible. It’s true that we won against Senegal in 2012 AFCON but we are not the favorites this time,” head coach Juan Micha said.The match kicks off at 2200 EAT.
