‘We will treat each game as a final’

Egypt coach Rui Vitoria has preached caution over the Pharaohs’ hopes of ending their TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations drought despite naming a star-studded squad for this month’s tournament.

The Portuguese manager stressed that Egypt must take it “game by game” when the tournament starts on January 13th in Cote d’Ivoire.

“We will treat each game as a final,” Vitoria declared as he named a squad containing Liverpool ace Mohamed Salah and Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny.

Egypt is a record seven-time Afcon winner but has not lifted the trophy since their 2010 triumph in Angola.

They finished runners-up in the last edition, with Salah part of the side beaten by Senegal in February’s final.

But when asked if Egypt entered as favorites this time, Vitoria said: “We must go game by game.”

The Pharaohs take on Ghana, Cape Verde, and Mozambique in Group B to banish the pain of recent near misses.

Vitoria will hope Salah can inspire Egypt to another continental crown after he joined the squad in their training camp.

The prolific forward offers an obvious threat, having established himself as one of Africa’s greatest-ever footballers.

But Vitoria is taking nothing for granted, knowing Egypt must hit the ground running against their tricky group opponents.

Despite their glittering history and talent-packed squad, the Portuguese-born coach is cautious about discussing Egypt’s chances.

Vitoria seems intent on keeping expectations in check as the Pharaohs plot the perfect path out of Group B en route to TotalEnergies CAF AFCON glory.