Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-01-28 23:33:37
Egypt, seven-time champions and lacking the injured Mohamed Salah, were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations after a penalty shootout against DR Congo. Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi converted the winning spot-kick after Mohamed Abou Gabal missed his kick, hitting the bar.
The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Meschack Elia scoring for DR Congo and Mostafa Mohamed equalizing for Egypt with a penalty. Liverpool star Salah was injured in a group match against Ghana and had to return to his club, missing the crucial knockout match.
DR Congo will face Guinea in the next round, while Egypt was eliminated, despite their previous successes in the tournament. Both teams failed to secure a victory in the group stage and finished as runners-up in their groups.
This was the fifth AFCON match between the two countries, with Egypt winning three times and losing once. The game was not without controversy, as there was a disputed goal and a red card for Egypt, leaving them a man short in extra time.
Egypt dominated possession in the first half, but DR Congo took the lead with a controversial goal, which was confirmed after a VAR review. Egypt eventually equalized with a penalty just before halftime.
DR Congo applied constant pressure in extra time but failed to score a winning goal. In the end, they emerged victorious in the penalty shootout, knocking out the former champions from the tournament.
