Egypt manager Hector Cuper is confident his side will bounce back from their 1-0 defeat by Tunisia in their opening Nations Cup qualifying game on Monday. An unimpressive Egypt side were condemned to defeat in their Group J opener, courtesy of a Yassine Khenissi goal early in the second half. Despite the demoralizing defeat, the Argentinean manager sounded upbeat, saying that he is confident his players will make up for the early loss. "We are still at an early stage in the qualifiers. I'm sure we'll bounce back," Cuper, who led Egypt to a second-place finish in the 2017 Cup of Nations, said in the post-match press conference. "My substitutions were late because I wanted to keep Abdallah El-Said as long as possible on the pitch, he is the one he could make the difference. "It's difficult to retain our good form in the Cup of Nations last January; the circumstances are totally different now. "We were not totally out of sorts today, we were the better side in the second half despite conceding a a goal. That's not to say we do not have our own problems especially those related to possession." Ex-Valencia boss Cuper moved to make substitutions only after the 73rdminute, with El-Said and Ramadan Sobhi both making way for Amr Gamal and Mostafa Fathi respectively. Egypt's upcoming competitive game is with Uganda away from home in August; a crucial World Cup qualifier as the Pharaohs bid for their first appearance at the football's most prestigious showpiece since 1990. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
