Shocker! Pharoahs Crash Out Of AFCON As Equatorial Guinea’s Unbeaten Run Ends
By PHC Telegraph
A Congolese player celebrates the win that sent his country into the round of eight
Celebration galore: Congolese unable to control their emotions after defeating hard fighting Egypt.The Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, Sunday night sent 7th time African champions, Egypt, packing out of the group of 16 and out of the ongoing African Cup of Nations.
The DRC proved bookmakers wrong and advanced to the quarter-finals by eight goals to seven via a penalty shootout, beating the Pharoahs who, over the years in AFCON competitions, triumphed through penalty shootouts against all comers.
Scores at full time after the gruesome and tension-soaked encounter which went into extra time was however Egypt 1, Congo 1.
The Congolese, enterprising on the field of play and determined to rewrite history, shot into an early lead in the first half.
Hero of the hard fought match and keeper of the Democratic Republic of Congo turns to the crowd in joyous celebration after scoring the winning goal.It was a goal well deserved, but a goal that came as a great shock to the Egyptian side which arrived Cote D’Ivoire as one of the favourites of the competition.
Thereafter, tragedy struck on the Congolese side as the Egyptians rallied back to secure an opportunity to draw level.
A Congolese defender under intense heat committed an infringement in the 18-yard box.
M. Mohammed stepped up for Egypt and took the resultant penalty, converting the well-timed strike into a goal at the 45th minute just before blew the halftime whistle.
At the resumption of play in the second half, both sides approached the game cautiously, probing relentlessly for the chance to wrap up the match.
Not even 30 minutes of extra time could break the deadlock in a match that the Congolese exhibited character, style and strong resistance.
The Pharoahs, clearly a shadow of themselves on the African stage, had struggled through the qualifying rounds in a group that included Equatorial Guinea and Ghana to get to the knockout stage.
And when the time came to stamp their authority on the game and progress to the round of eight, the Pharoahs who did everything in the books to have a penalty shootout failed to rise to the occasion.
Face off of the goalkeepers: the Egyptian keeper reader to take the penalty that sent his side out of the competition.
Face of defeat: An Egyptian player shuts his eyes in unbelief on a day that the pyramid crumbled.Egypt fell on a night that Equatorial Guinea, the giant killers who disgraced Cote d’Ivoire failed to twinkle like a million stars.
A penalty which could have changed the tide of the game taken by a notable striker hit the woodwork and slithered away to the corner.
That miss served as a tonic for Guinea which fought back and eventually got the lone goal at the nick of time which sent the Equatorians out of the competition