In the opening Group B match of the ongoing TotalEnergies CAF U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2023 in Morocco on Sunday, Egypt and Niger fought to a scoreless stalemate.

Even though Egypt, the defending champions, had pledged to play their best game in their opening match, they struggled in the contest at the Ibn Batouta Stadium in Tangier.

The defending champions launched a massive offensive, but they were met by a well-prepared Niger team who played solid defense.

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Ibrahim Adel Aly Mohamed, the captain of Egypt, missed two golden opportunities to score after 25 minutes.

Later, Naim Attenhoven of Niger stopped Mohamed’s second try as well.

Before the half, the Niger squad, which was making its debut and had chosen a more defensive strategy, rarely made an attempt on the Egyptian goal.

Mahamadou Moussa Ismael of Niger attempted to score for Egypt in the second half, but his shot went wide of the goal.

The two teams made minor adjustments as Egypt continued to control play but struggled to put the ball in the back of the net.

On June 28, two Group B matches will be played: Egypt will return to action against Mali, and Gabon will face Niger.