Comoros head coach Stefano Cusin has shared his assessment of why Egypt fell short of qualifying for the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, following their 1-0 defeat to Senegal in the semi-finals.
Egypt will now turn their attention to the third-place playoff against Nigeria on Saturday, while hosts Morocco face Senegal in Sunday’s final.
Speaking in a special statement via Batolat, Cusin suggested that Egypt’s tactical approach played a key role in their elimination.
“I think that in the semi-finals we had three teams that tended to play offensively, and one team like Egypt that relied on counter-attacks,” he said.
He explained that such a style demands maximum efficiency in attack.
“When you play in this style, it becomes necessary for the attackers to be at their most dangerous and on their best day, as happened against Ivory Coast, but if that doesn’t happen, it’s natural to concede a goal as happened against Senegal, and then a comeback in the match becomes very difficult, and the Lions of Teranga deservedly qualified for the final.”
Despite Egypt’s exit, Cusin was full of praise for the quality within the squad.
“Egypt has a great team, with excellent organisation and outstanding strikers, but I think the strikers needed to be more dangerous if they wanted to win a tournament of this size,” he added.
After losing to Senegal in the semi-final, Egypt will now face Nigeria on Saturday, January 17, to battle for the bronze medal.
