Tag: Egypt

Categories
football Slides Sports News

AFCON: SENEGAL BEAT EGYPT IN FINAL SHOOT-OUT TO WIN MAIDEN TITLE

Sadio Mane made up for missing from the spot in normal time to score the decisive penalty as Senegal overcame Mohamed Salah’s Egypt 4-2 in a shoot-out to win their first Africa Cup of Nations title after Sunday’s final finished goalless at the end of extra time.

Mane had seen Mohamed Abou Gabal save his seventh-minute penalty at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde but Egypt could not capitalise as they went to extra time for the fourth consecutive game at this Cup of Nations.

Salah was due to step up to take Egypt’s fifth penalty but with Mohamed Abdelmonem hitting the post and Mohanad Lasheen having his kick saved by Edouard Mendy, the Liverpool star did not get his chance and was already on the verge of tears as his club team-mate Mane prepared to strike the decisive blow.

After two previous final defeats, Senegal are Cup of Nations winners at last, while Egypt missed out on a record-extending eighth continental crown that would also have been a first for Salah.

“It just shows that if you work hard, if you persevere, you will get what you want,” Senegal coach Aliou Cisse told broadcaster beIN Sports.

“I am very emotional because the people of Senegal have wanted this trophy for 60 years.”

Abou Gabal, who was named man of the match, summed up the Egyptian mood, saying: “We are really disappointed but that’s football, either you win or you lose.”

Senegal’s celebrations followed a disappointing final, the fifth in the last 11 editions of the tournament to be decided in a shoot-out after a goalless draw.

Egypt had already twice won finals that had been settled on penalties after finishing 0-0, and they had already won in the same manner twice in the last fortnight, against the Ivory Coast and Cameroon.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

EGYPT ELIMINATE HOSTS CAMEROON IN AFCON SEMIS AFTER PENALTY SHOOTOUT

Goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal pulled off two spectacular saves as Egypt edged hosts Cameroon 3-1 in the penalty shootout to reach the final of Africa Cup of Nations following a goalless draw after extra time on Thursday.

Cameroon converted only one of their four spot-kicks, with Gabal blocking two of the strikes before Clinton Njie missed his attempt. Egypt converted all three of their kicks.

Egypt will be aiming to win a record-extending eighth Cup of Nations title when they face Senegal in Sunday’s final.

But they will be without coach Carlos Queiroz, who is suspended for the final after being sent off in Thursday’s second half for persistent touchline petulance

Categories
football Slides Sports News

AFCON 2021: IHEANACHO STARS AS EAGLES EDGE EGYPT IN GROUP D OPENER

Kelechi Iheanacho overshadowed fellow Premier League stars Mohamed Salah and Riyad Mahrez on Tuesday as Nigeria made a winning start to their Africa Cup of Nations campaign and title-holders Algeria were held. The Leicester City forward scored the only goal on 30 minutes as Nigeria overcame lacklustre Egypt 1-0 in a clash of Group D big guns in the northwestern city of Garoua. His match winner and overall performance earned Iheanacho the man-of-the-match award on a day when prolific Liverpool scorer Salah and Manchester City winger Mahrez failed to sparkle.

Captain Salah cut an isolated, frustrated, figure at the Stade Roumde Adjia and when he did get a scoring chance in the second half, his prod was saved by the boot of goalkeeper Maduka Okoye.

It was an otherwise uneventful evening for the Nigeria shot-stopper, who must have anticipated being called into action more often against the record seven-time African champions.

“We had three things in mind — winning, retaining possession and cutting off the supply to Salah,” said Nigeria caretaker coach Augustine Eguavoen.

“Every game will be treated like a final because each team in Cameroon must be respected regardless of the name of the country. There are no minor football nations anymore in Africa so if you do not plan and make the effort, you can be shocked,” he added.

This was the eighth meeting of the Super Eagles and the Pharaohs in the flagship African tournament and three-time champions Nigeria have won four and drawn two.

Nigeria succeeded after a troubled build-up in which German coach Gernot Rohr was fired following an unimpressive World Cup qualifying run and former national star Eguavoen took temporary charge.

Eguavoen’s squad was without forwards Victor Osimhen, Emmanuel Dennis and Odion Ighalo for a variety of reasons, but his team went on the offensive from the kick-off and did him proud.

Speedy winger Moses Simon played a major role when the Super Eagles took the lead at the 30,000-capacity stadium.

His cross was only partially cleared by Ahmed Hegazy and Nigerian Joseph Aribo nodded the ball into the path of Iheanacho, who hammered a half-volley past goalkeeper Mohamed Elshenawy.

After the later Group D match Guinea-Bissau are still without a win in three Cup of Nations appearances as Judilson ‘Pele’ Gomes missed a penalty and the woodwork saved Sudan twice in a 0-0 draw.

Categories
football Sports News

MO SALAH TO PUSH LIVERPOOL FOR OLYMPIC RELEASE – EGYPTIAN FA PRESIDENT

Egyptian Football Association president Ahmed Megahed claims Mohamed Salah will push Liverpool to allow him to play in the Olympics despite the club turning down their request for him to be released.

With the forward set to be on duty at the African Nations Cup in January it is understood the club are unwilling to sanction another absence – especially during such a pivotal period in pre-season.

The Olympics in Tokyo run from July 22 until August 7, a week before the start of the Premier League campaign, and Liverpool do not view it as being in their best interests to allow the 29-year-old to attend.

Under FIFA rules clubs are under no obligation to release their players for the Olympics.

Megahed said Salah would make one last appeal to be allowed to join up as one of their three over-age players allowed in the squad.

“I do not want to say that it is impossible for Salah to participate in the Olympics, but it is difficult,” he told Egyptian broadcaster ONTimeSport.

“Salah agreed to lead the Olympic team during the last camp of the Egyptian team.

“We contacted Liverpool to allow Salah to join the Olympic team, and they said they were waiting for the approval of the technical staff.

“In the end, Liverpool refused the request because they do not want to lose the player at the beginning of the season, as well as next January with the Africa Cup of Nations, which will keep him from participating in the English Premier League matches.

Categories
football Slides Sports News

EGYPT’S AL AHLY TO FACE BAYERN MUNICH IN FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP.

Egyptian giants Al Ahly will face Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Fifa Club World Cup after defeating host side Al Duhail 1-0 on Thursday.

Wearing grey and black because of a colour clash with the red strip of Duhail, Ahly advanced thanks to a 30th-minute goal from midfielder Hussein el Shahat. The victory ensured Ahly became the first African side since 2013 to win their opening Club World Cup match.

The reward for the African champions is a semi-final on Monday against tournament favourites and Uefa Champions League winners Bayern Munich.

Success came as a huge relief for an Egyptian outfit coached by South African Pitso Mosimane as they achieved only one top-three finish in five previous Club World Cup appearances.

It was also a joyful occasion for Mosimane, who lost both matches when he took previous club, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, to the 2016 edition.

Backed by the majority of the crowd in the Education City Stadium, Ahly led 1-0 at half-time and had a second goal ruled offside.

The only goal came when Duhail cheaply surrendered possession close to their box and one pass set up El Shahat to fire a low shot into the corner of the net.

Walter Bwalya netted eight minutes later for the nine-time African champions after racing clear and the goal was initially awarded before VAR revealed the Congolese was fractionally offside.

Starved of possession in the first half, Duhail were more assertive at the start of the second half and forced two corners in quick succession.

Ahly rode the storm and held on to the slender lead despite having far less of the ball than during the opening 45 minutes.

In the first quarter-final earlier Thursday, Tigres of Mexico came from behind to edge Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea 2-1 and book a Sunday meeting with Palmeiras of Brazil for a place in the final.