Egypt will be looking to go one better than their 2017 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up finish, with The Pharaohs among the favourites this time around.
Here's what you need to know about the 2019 AFCON hosts...
Previous appearances in AFCON finals: (23)
1957, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1970, 1974, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2017.
Best performance: Winners 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010
Group opponents: Drawn in Group A with DR Congo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.
Fixtures
- June 21: Egypt vs Zimbabwe
- June 26: Egypt vs DR Congo
- June 30: Uganda vs Egypt
Coach: Javier Aguirre
The 60-year-old Mexican took over from Hector Cuper after last yearâs World Cup finals and has the unenviable task of satisfying rabid home expectations.
Aguirre played as a midfielder for Mexico, including the 1986 World Cup, and then coached first in his home country before jobs at Atletico Madrid, Real Zaragoza and Espanyol.
He has won the Concacaf Gold Cup with Mexico and took Japan to the Asian Cup quarter-finals four years ago.
Key player: Mohamed Salah
Egypt will be expecting much from the Liverpool striker but after an exhausting season, which included him scoring a goal in the Champions League final, Salah will have to find extra energy.
He has won the last two African Footballer of the Year awards and become a global icon after a career which has included spells at Basle, Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma.
Salah was the catalyst two years ago when a young Egyptian side reached the Cup of Nations final in Gabon and again in helping Egypt qualify for the 2018 World cup in Russia.
FIFA world ranking June 2019: 58
How they qualified: Second placed team in Group J, behind Tunisia but ahead of Niger and Eswatini. Took over as host nation in January.
Squad
Goalkeepers: Mahmoud Abdel Rehem (Zamalek), Ahmed El Shenawy (Pyramids), Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly)
Defenders: Mahmoud Alaa (Zamalek), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa), Baher Elmohamady (Ismaili), Ali Gazal (Feirense), Omar Gaber (Pyramids), Mahmoud Hamdy (Zamalek), Ahmed Hegazy (West Bromwich Albion), Ahmed Ayman Mansour (Pyramids)
Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal), Nabil Emad, Abdallah El Said (both Pyramids), Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Walid Soliman (Al Ahly), Mahmoud Trezeguet (Kasimpasa), Amr Warda (Atromitos)
Forwards: Ahmed Ali (Arab Contractors), Ahmed Kouka (Olympiakos), Marwan Mohsen (Al Ahly), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool). (Compiled by Mark Gleeson; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)
Additional reporting by Reuters.
