Egypt made it through to Sunday's showpiece after a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over Burkina Faso in the last four, with 44-year-old goalkeeper Essam El Hadarybthe hero after keeping out spot-kicks from Bertrand Traore and Herve Koffi. While the seven-time continental champions deserve credit for holding their nerve at the vital moment, they were really rather fortunate to have made it as far as penalties: Burkina Faso were much the better team in regulation time, dominating possession and territory but failing to take enough of their chances to land a decisive blow. Hector Cuper's side were content to pack men behind the ball and look for opportunities on the counter-attack, and although their defensive solidity and resolve cannot be questioned - Aristide Bance's strike in the 1-1 draw in the semi-final is the only goal they have conceded in Gabon - they will need to offer a great deal more going forward this weekend if they are to leave a lasting impression on this tournament.
Cameroon sprung a surprise in the second semi-final on Thursday, beating Ghana 2-0 to give themselves a shot at winning their fifth Cup of Nations trophy of all time. Hugo Broos' side were largely written off before the big kick-off last month, primarily because of the absence of eight important players - including Liverpool central defender Joel Matip - but the Belgian has done brilliantly to guide an unfancied team all the way to the final. They too played a reactive game in the last four, looking to make life difficult for Ghana throughout, and did an excellent job of being difficult to break down and tough to beat. The Indomitable Lions could easily have crashed out in the group stage, when a single goal for Gabon in their final encounter would have sent the home nation through in Cameroon's place; the 2002 winners have grown into the competition after drawing their first three games, though, and will fancy their chances of causing another upset on Sunday.
Egypt lined up in a 4-1-4-1 formation against Burkina Faso having previously employed a 4-2-3-1 in their previous matches, while Cameroon have opted for a 4-2-3-1 configuration throughout. Given that both teams have favoured the counter-attack this tournament, it will be interesting to see which of the two has more of the possession at the Stade d'Angondje in Libreville.
This weekend's final is unlikely to be a classic, with both sides having preferred a conservative style of play up to now. On the whole, though, I expect to see Egypt to come out on top and get their hands on another Cup of Nations trophy, most likely after a low-scoring and cagey affair. A victory for the Pharaohs could therefore be the best betting option on Sunday, while fewer than 2.5 goals to be netted in total is another wager worth considering.
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