Tonight, Friday 21 June, Cairo celebrated the opening of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. For a record fifth time, Egypt is hosting the 32nd edition of the biennial international men’s football championship of Africa, organised by the Confederation of African Football.
President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi attended the opening ceremony at Cairo Stadium, and officially launched the championship. The first match is being played between Egypt and Zimbabwe. This is the 14th time they play together, with Egypt winning eight matches, Zimbabwe two, and four matches ending in a draw.
Egyptians hold high hopes of winning the cup, especially given that their team is playing on its own turf and amid its fans. If the Egyptian team wins, it will be for the eighth time, setting a new African record. That last and seventh time Egypt won the cup was in 2010.
The games will be played in six stadiums: Cairo International Stadium, the Air Forces Stadium, and al-Salam Stadium in Cairo; Alexandria Stadium in Alexandria; Suez Stadium in Suez; and Ismailiya Stadium in Ismailiya.
Watani International
21 June 2019