Egypt break Ugandan hearts
A last-gasp strike from Egypt substitute Abdallah Said ended Uganda’s Africa Cup of Nations dreams in Port Gentil on Saturday evening.
Fans of Egypt during the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations Finals football match between Egypt and Uganda at the Port Gentil Stadium in Gabon on 21 January 2017 ©Chris Ricco/BackpagePix
Said’s low shot in the final minute beat Denis Onyango in the Cranes goal and finally broke the deadlock in a dull game. The 1-0 win for the Pharaohs means Uganda cannot reach the last eight, whatever happens in their final Group D game against Mali on Wednesday.
Egypt need just a point against Ghana on the same day to secure passage to the quarterfinals, while a win would see them leapfrog the Black Stars and top the group.
This was a patchy match, as were the stands, with most of the crowd having departed following the earlier Mali-Ghana game.
Onyango had to make a save from a Marwan Mohsen header in the 16th minute, and in the 24th minute, Mohammed Salah raced through, lifting the ball over Onyango from a tight angle, but his shot drifted across the face of goal.
Uganda had their moments too on an increasingly crumbly surface. Left back Joseph Ochaya got in a fine cross in the 28th minute, that had Egyptian defender Ahmed Hegazy heading out from in front of veteran ‘keeper Essam El Hardary.
And ten minutes before the break, Uganda’s young attacking star Faruku Miya played a delightful one-two with Tonny Mawejje, but dragged his shot wide of target.
The Cranes thought they had gone in front six minutes after the break, as Miya sent in a fine cross, and Ochoya struck the ball home, but he was correctly flagged offside.
In the 60th minute, Miya got away again on the right, and this time the 44 year-old El Hadary came off his line to get a vital touch.
Hector Cuper had sent on Said in his search for a goal, and the Al Ahly man had a great chance to oblige, curling over the bar from the edge of the area, after Ramadan Sobhi’s cross had landed at his feet.
Mahmoud Trezeguet then surged forward and his first shot was blocked but the ball bounced fortuitously back to him and his next curled effort was saved by Onyango.
In the final minute, however, Egypt and Said finally struck, to break Cranes hearts, though Milutin Sredojevic’s side have performed admirably on their first appearance at the tournament in 39 years.
