The group stage of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations came to an end on Wednesday evening following the completion of the sixth and final round of matches, setting the stage for a highly competitive knockout phase.
Egypt, who topped Group B with seven points from two wins and a draw, have booked a place in the Round of 16, where they will face Benin, the third-placed side from Group D.
While the Pharaohs progressed comfortably from the group stage, the road ahead presents a challenging test as they pursue a place in the final.
Should Egypt overcome Benin, their journey would continue into the quarter-finals against the winner of the clash between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso, two sides with strong pedigree and contrasting styles.
A victory at that stage would see the Egyptian national team advance to the semi-finals, where they would meet the winner emerging from the fixtures involving Tunisia against Mali and Senegal against Sudan, further underlining the difficulty of the route ahead.
If Egypt manage to navigate their way into the final, they would then await a finalist drawn from the other side of the bracket, which features matchups between South Africa and Cameroon, Morocco and Tanzania, Algeria and DR Congo, as well as Nigeria against Mozambique.
With several African heavyweights standing in their path, Egypt’s progression to the final will require consistency, resilience and top-level performances as the knockout stages of AFCON 2025 get underway.
For now, the focus is on the Round 16 hurdle against Benin on Monday, January 5.
