The Portuguese coach of the Egyptian national team, Rui Vitoria, responded diplomatically to a question regarding the "Pharaohs" avoiding a matchup against Morocco, who finished fourth in the Qatar World Cup, in the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations taking place in Ivory Coast.
There was a possibility of a clash between the Moroccan and Egyptian teams in the knockout stage, but Morocco securing the top spot in Group Six ahead of the Democratic Republic of Congo prevented this encounter. The Egyptian national team will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 16 tomorrow night, while Morocco will meet South Africa next Tuesday.
In a press conference the day before the Egypt vs. Democratic Republic of Congo match, Vitoria said, "There is no doubt we will be playing against a strong opponent, and I said from day one here that we will treat every game like a final." He added, "The standards are different from the group stage, and we are not thinking about the opponent's performance at this stage; some teams have proven to be stronger than many imagined."
He continued, "The truth is that the decisive factor is the performance on the pitch, and I said we will be playing against a strong, organized team with outstanding players who know everything about Egypt."
When asked about his feelings regarding avoiding a matchup against Morocco in the round of 16, Vitoria replied, "We don't think that way; from day one, we haven't thought about it. There are teams that think like that and aspire to go far in the tournament, but we will face all the strong teams sooner or later."
He added, "There are strong teams, some of which have proven that; I can't say which team is the strongest at this moment. What matters is what the opponent presents on the field. These are the things we need to focus on. The Democratic Republic of Congo, whom we'll face, is a strong, organized team with players who perform well."
It is noteworthy that the Moroccan and Egyptian teams could meet in the current continental tournament only if both reach the final match.
