Algeria captain Riyad Mahrez said his team are “hungry” for more success as he prepared to lead his team against Egypt on Monday.
“Even if we already won four years ago the Africa Cup, the thing that is still important for me and for the team is that we’re still hungry to achieve more things and to have more success,” Mahrez told journalists on Sunday.
Fresh from a 5-1 victory over Cape Verde last week, Algeria are looking to send a clear message of intent to their rivals ahead of the AFCON in January.
Djamel Belmadi’s side are now unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions, including a 1-0 victory over Senegal last month.
With just one defeat in their last 13 matches, Algeria look tight defensively as they look to build momentum ahead of next month’s CAF World Cup qualifiers.
Meanwhile, for Egypt which has already qualified for January’s AFCON, Monday’s match is a chance for manager Rui Vitória to assess his teams capabilities ahead of the tournament in the Ivory Coast.
Captain Mohamed Salah will look to further increase his Egyptian goal scoring record of 51 against their Arab rivals.
The Pharaohs earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Zambia last week, their ninth win in ten matches.
