Egypt and Cameroon have 11 Africa Cup of Nations titles between them, with the former having won seven of them, most in the competition's history. Such dominance in the competition showcases both the teams to be giants of Africa football, and with the final set to be played between these successful nations in Libreville, the match is expected to be a cracker on Sunday.
Read: Cameroon's journey to the AFCON 2017 final
Irrespective of how one has played in the competition, and the number of titles behind their back, Egypt and Cameroon will be under some sort of pressure, which a major final always brings to the table. Egypt and Cameroon will both strive for consistency and it is going to be the key in the title-decider, which could go either way.
The two nations met in the final of the 1986 AFCON, where Egypt won on penalties. In fact, it was some heroics from their goalkeeper Essam El Hadary in penalty-shoot out, which helped them beat Burkina Faso and reach the finals of AFCON 2017. With Egypt players being taken the full distance, there may be some tired legs in the final.
More than that, they also have some problems with injuries leading to the final. Mohamed Elneny participation is doubtful with an injury, while Mahmoud Kahraba is suspended. Marwan Mohsen is also injured. However, they will look forward to the brilliance of Mohamed Salah, who will play a huge role in the final.
"The players are tired because we have had short intervals between matches and we have also suffered many injuries during the tournament, so it has taken a toll on the team," Super Sport quoted Cuper as saying.
Cameroon might not have such major injury concerns, and they also have momentum on their side. They have played some solid football in AFCON 2017, defeating teams like Senegal (quarterfinal) and Ghana (semifinal) en route to the final. Such accomplishment looks big, when one understands that some of their key players decided to skip the competition.
Cameroon looked solid in their matches against Senegal and Ghana, but their players need to be even better against Egypt, who have just conceded one goal in AFCON 2017, barring those penalties against Burkina Faso.
Some might think that Cameroon might have already exceeded expectations, but their players will be desperate to win the fifth title. After having come so far, they know, there will be no room for error in the final.
Coach Hugo Bross has got the best out of his team, and his players have also played their heart out irrespective of the situation and the results are there for everyone to see. Bross is so close to winning the title for Cameroon, who last won the title in 2002, and their players including captain Benjamin Moukandjo will be desperate to shine in the final to inspire his team for a successful end to the campaign.
"Of course when you get to this stage you want to win but I think looking at the run we have had we have already done well. I don't think anyone here would have bet a cent on us beforehand and that's a real shame for them," the malaymailonline.com quoted Moukandjo as saying.
Looking at how Africa Cup of Nations 2017 has unfolded, which has thrown some major surprises, it will be hard to choose a favourite for the AFCON final on Sunday as well. Consistency and absorbing the pressure of such a mega final will also hold the key in the title-decider.
Where to watch live
Egypt vs Cameroon Afcon 2017 final is scheduled for a 12:30am IST (7:00pm GMT, 2:00pm ET) start. Live Streaming and TV information.
India: TV: No live coverage.
Africa: TV: SuperSport 6 Africa. Live Streaming: SuperSport live video.
UK: TV: EuroSport 2 UK. Live Streaming: EuroSport Player.
Australia, Canada, US: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect.
