Preview: Egypt vs. Benin - prediction, team news, lineups

Aiming to avoid another round-of-16 elimination at the Africa Cup of Nations, Group B winners Egypt take on Benin at Adrar Stadium on Monday for a place in the tournament’s quarter-finals.

Hossam Hassan’s team have kept consecutive clean sheets after a hard-fought, comeback, tournament-opening victory against Zimbabwe, and they are heavy favourites to beat an opponent whose first-ever 90-minute triumph at this event came in this edition’s group stage.

Match preview

On the one hand, you are inclined to look at the raw data and commend Egypt for keeping back-to-back shutouts in group-stage matches against South Africa and Angola, winning 1-0 with 10 men in the former and playing out a 0-0 draw against the Palancas Negras.

However, closer examination shows that the Pharaohs conceded 18 shots against Bafana Bafana, while Angola attempted 16 efforts in the final round of matches to close out the opening stage.

However, both require some context: Egypt were down to 10 men for the entire second half against Hugo Broos’s side, who attempted one first-half shot before racking up 17 after the interlude, while the seven-time AFCON winners played a second-string side last time out.

Thus, Egypt’s level will be tested against Benin on Monday, even if the Pharaohs enter the match as resounding favourites to defeat the West African team, who are appearing at this stage for only the second time after the 2019 edition.

Nevertheless, Hassan, a three-time continental champion as a player in 1986, 1998 and 2006, will be wary of another early exit after Egypt’s eliminations on home soil at AFCON 2019 and at the last tournament in Ivory Coast.

Benin, however, enter Monday’s last-16 contest with minimal pressure on them after advancing to this stage, having been one of the four best third-placed teams.

That was realistically the only route Gernot Rohr’s team could take, considering the presence of Senegal and DR Congo in Group D, and the Cheetahs advanced by virtue of a 1-0 win over Botswana, the lowest-ranked nation at AFCON 2025.

Although defeating the Southern African nation was honestly expected, Rohr’s men still needed to make the most of arguably the nation’s finest opportunity to record a first-ever 90-minute victory at the finals, which they achieved thanks to Yohan Roche’s 28th-minute strike.

Facing Egypt, however, is a different challenge entirely and Benin’s previous results against teams they were given little chance against indicate the chasm between the West Africans and the continent’s better sides.

Rohr’s team fired blanks in their 1-0 loss against DR Congo and failed to score against Senegal despite Kalidou Koulibaly’s sending-off, and they will need an almost perfect performance to stun Egypt in Agadir.

Having stunned Morocco on penalties at this stage at AFCON 2019, the Cheetahs will hope to claim another scalp against another North African giant.

Egypt Africa Cup of Nations form form:

Egypt form(all competitions) :

Benin Africa Cup of Nations form:

Benin form(all competitions) :

While Hassan utilised a back five in the final two group matches against Angola, the former legendary forward could return to a back four on Monday.

Reinstated after earning a rest against the Palancas Negras, Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush and Trezeguet should be named in the XI to lead the Pharaohs’ attack.

Although Trezeguet, influential in qualifying with four goals and one assist, has yet to score or set up any so far, Salah has scored two of the team’s three goals while Marmoush has netted the other, underlining their standing as the team’s match-winners.

Also likely to be reinstated for the North African giants is Mohamed Hany, who returns after serving a one-match suspension after receiving two yellows leading to a red against South Africa.

However, Mohanad Lasheen’s status is questionable after his withdrawal after 64 minutes last time out with what looked to be an injury.

Sessi D’Almeida is an injury doubt for Benin, while Abdoul Rachid Moumini is suspended after accumulating yellow cards.

Despite failing to sparkle at AFCON 2025, the attacking onus rests on Steve Mounie, Junior Olaitan and Aiyegun Tosin.

Olaitan and Mounie were involved in five goals during AFCON qualifying, with the wide attacker contributing two assists, highlighting his creative threat.

Egypt possible starting lineup:

El Shenawy; Hany, Ibrahim, Rabia, Hamdi; Attia, Fathy, Zizo; Salah, Marmoush, Trezeguet

Benin possible starting lineup:

Dandjinou; Ouorou, Verdon, Tijani, Roche; Imourane, Attidjikou; Tosin, Dodo, Olaitan; Mounie

We say: Egypt 3-1 Benin

Despite Benin’s historic victory against Botswana, Rohr’s team are a level below the continent’s top sides, of which Egypt are undeniably one.

It is hard to make a case for the West African nation to upset a motivated North African nation led by Salah and Marmoush, and the seven-time champions should claim the victory to set up a last-eight contest with defending champions Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso.