Defending champion Egypt beat Sudan 3-0 on Saturday to move closer to a quarterfinal berth at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Hosni Abd Rabou scored first from the penalty spot in the 28th minute after he was fouled in the area by Sudan goalkeeper Elmuiz Abdalla.
Amr Zaki set up substitute Mohamed Aboutreika for the second goal in the 78th. Aboutreika scored his second goal after a solo run in the 82nd.
Egypt leads Group C with six points, three ahead of Cameroon and Zambia. Sudan has zero points.
Egypt just needs a draw against Zambia in its last match on Wednesday in Kumasi to advance.
Sudan attacked from the start, creating a chance which Kamal Heytam wasted by shooting straight at Egypt goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary in the fourth minute.
El-Hadary saved Haitham Mustafa’s 25m drive in the 19th before Richard Lado volleyed over the crossbar in the 35th, but Sudan was less threatening after Abd Rabou’s goal.
Egypt, which is a founding member of the 16-nation tournament along with Sudan and Ethiopia, created no chances in the first half apart from the penalty.
But Aboutreika’s introduction in the second half galvanised the Egyptian attack.
Abd Rabou joined Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o and Morocco’s Soufiane Alloudi as leading scorers in this year’s tournament with three goals.
In 2006, Egypt won a record fifth title on home soil by downing Côte d’Ivoire on penalties. – AFP
