Egypt's Group C rivals will see each player getting $7,000 (around EGP 39,000) in case the team got a hand to the title in Ghana.

The bonus might sound nothing compared to that of Egypt, whose playing staff received EGP 50,000 each, just for winning the unfashionable Pan Arab Games title last month.

However, the Zambian government allocated a budget of $1.5M for the team's preparation, in an attempt to help the Chipolopolo Boys clinch the title for the first time.

Egypt's last meeting with Zambia came in CAN 1998 when the Pharaohs stormed to a 4-0 victory, before clinching the title in Burkina Faso.

The defending champions will be tackled by the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Sudan, in addition to the highly-ambitious Zambia in Kumasi next month.