Following a month of pulsating action, Senegal and Egypt will contest the Africa Cup of Nations final this Sunday at the Paul Biya Stadium in Yaoundé.
Egypt will be looking to secure a record eighth AFCON crown this weekend, having secured three straight triumphs between 2006 and 2010.
On the flip side, Senegal will be hoping to win the tournament for the very first time. They have been runners-up on two occasions, most recently in 2019.
Senegal booked their spot in the final with a 3-1 victory over Burkina Faso on Wednesday. Abdou Diallo, Bamba Dieng and Sadio Mane all scored in the final 20 minutes to send their country to the showpiece.
The Lions of Teranga remain unbeaten in the tournament, having picked up four wins and two draws en route to the final.
After scoring just a single goal in their first three games, Senegal have netted eight goals across their previous three outings.
It is also worth noting that Senegal have only conceded two goals in six AFCON matches, keeping four clean sheets in the process.
When you look at the bigger picture, Senegal have avoided defeat in each of their past 12 games across all competitions – picking up nine wins and three draws along the way.
As for Egypt, they beat host nation Cameroon on penalties on Thursday night to reach their tenth Africa Cup of Nations final.
That means all three of their knockout games have gone to extra-time, with two of them going all the way to penalties.
It is worth noting that Egypt have only managed to win two of their six AFCON games inside 90 minutes, after winning two of their three group games.
That said, they have kept a clean sheet in four of their previous five outings – conceding just a single goal in the process.
Looking at the wider picture, the Pharaohs have only lost two of their last 27 encounters across all competitions inside 90 minutes.
Head-to-head: Senegal have won three of their previous five meetings with Egypt without conceding a goal. They also head into Sunday’s final on a two-game winning streak against the Pharaohs.
That said, Egypt have beaten Senegal on six occasions over the years. By contrast, Senegal have only managed to beat Egypt four times.
Team news: Senegal have no fresh injury worries ahead of Sunday’s final, meaning head coach Aliou Cisse can select a full-strength side.
On the flip side, Egypt will be without goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy due to injury. That means Gabaski is expected to deputize between the sticks.
Although Egypt have a record seven AFCON titles to their name, Senegal have been far more convincing through this year’s tournament.
With that in mind, Forebet predicts that Senegal will lift the trophy on Sunday – keeping a clean sheet on their way to beating Egypt.