Egypt are out to hurt Russia’s chances of bagging a second win in Group A at the 2018 Fifa World Cup and that is the message from winger Ramadan Sobhi.
The Pharaohs star explains that they have studied their opponents and want to secure a win as they hope to keep their knockout qualification hopes alive.
The new Huddersfield Town player insists that Hector Cuper’s men have what it takes to defeat Russia and Saudi Arabia in order to move beyond the group stage.
The clash comes in the wake of a recent 1-0 loss to Uruguay in their tournament opener, whilst the hosts opened their account on Thursday with a superb 5-0 win over the Saudis.
Speaking ahead of the crucial encounter where Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah could make his first appearance following injury, Sobhi said they are focused on grabbing the three points and giving their fans something to smile about.
Meanwhile, the 21-year-old also reflected on his side's loss to the South Americans last week.
“I expected Uruguay to be even stronger,” Sobhi told On Sport .
“Yes, they are a strong team, but not as I expected, our team went neck and neck with them, but in the end we lost in the dying minutes and this is football,” he reacted.
“We know very well how important the game is, we are going there to win (against Russia),” Sobhi continued.
“Our goal is not to have a good performance, but our focus is on winning and going all the way to the round of 16. The game will be very difficult but we are focused on achieving what we want,” insisted the England-based player.
“The Russian team is certainly strong and managed to win by five goals, but our technical staff watched the game and will inform us of their weaknesses and strengths,” noted the 21-year-old.
“I saw the game and I believe that their strength is not in individual skills as much as it is in their teamwork,” he explained.
“Our goal is to honour Egypt and draw a smile on the faces of all the nation,” concluded Sobhi.
By Phumzile Ngcatshe
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