Substitute keeper Abo Gabal the shootout hero as Egypt advance
Egypt booked a quarter-final place at the Africa Cup
of Nations with a 5-4 shootout victory over Ivory Coast on Wednesday as
substitute goalkeeper Mohamed Abo Gabal saved Eric Bailly's tame penalty and
Mohamed Salah stroked home the decisive spotkick.
The match finished 0-0 after extra time before Abo
Gabal, who had replaced the injured Mohamed El Shennawy, pushed a casual effort
from Ivorian defender Bailly onto the crossbar and Salah struck the winning
penalty from his trademark long run-up.
Seven-time winners Egypt will now face north African
rivals Morocco in an enticing quarter-final at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in
Yaounde on Sunday.
It was a lively match at the Japoma Stadium in Douala
in which both sides created enough chances to win the game, but also at times
lacked quality in the attacking third at either end in another largely quiet
outing for Egypt captain Salah.
Egypt are seeking their first continental title since
2010 having surprisingly fallen at the last-16 stage on home soil in 2019.
The Pharaohs, who have now progressed on all five
occasions they have met the Ivory Coast in the knockout stages at the finals,
reach the last eight having only scored two goals in their four matches.
Their opponents had been more fluent in attack in
recent matches but came up against a stoic Egyptian defence that was organised
and unyielding.
Egypt midfielder Omar Marmoush crashed a shot against
the crossbar midway through the first half, before Salah’s goal-bound shot from
the edge of the box was saved by keeper Badra Ali Sangare.
But perhaps the best chance fell at the other end when
Ibrahim Sangare’s acrobatic shot was beaten away by El Shennawy in the Egyptian
goal.
The latter also had to be smart to keep out an effort
from Sebastien Haller on the stroke of halftime.
El Shennawy tipped over a close-range header from
Haller, before he was forced off with a leg injury just before the end of the
90 minutes and replaced by Abo Gabal.
Egypt created a number of half-chances in extra time,
but Sangare unleashed a curling effort that was superbly saved by the Egyptian
keeper to send the game to penalties.
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