Africa Cup of Nations roundup
FULL TIME: Egypt 0-1 South Africa
Nope! That’s it! Egypt are knocked out of their own Africa Cup of Nations. It’s a thoroughly deserved result, too. South Africa were the better team from the get-go, solid in defence and always dangerous in attack. The Cairo International Stadium falls silent, much like the Maracana did after the final match of the 1950 World Cup, I’ll be bound. What a shock! Mohamed Salah looks crestfallen, but can have no complaints. To a man, Egypt were thoroughly second best tonight. Congratulations to South Africa; commiserations to the hosts. Thanks for reading!
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90 min +4: Veldwijk is immediately sent clear down the inside-right channel. He’s one on one with El Shenawy, but can’t convert. Will South Africa live to regret giving up that gilt-edged opportunity?
90 min +3: And the clock ticks on further as Veldwijk comes on for the goalscorer Lorch ... who is nearly manhandled off the field by an irate Trezeguet.
90 min +2: Furman’s number goes up on the subs board. He takes his own sweet time to depart, causing Hamed all manner of head-heat. Furman eventually departs, and he’s replaced by Kekana.
90 min: Mokotjo romps into space down the left. He should find Lau free in the centre, but clanks his cross into Hegazy. That would have sealed it. As things stand, though, there will be four added minutes in which Egypt can save themselves.
89 min: Tau departs momentarily on the medical truck. Salah taps his wrist theatrically, the internationally recognised mime for “Add some effing time on, ref!”
88 min: Tau is down. He’s either injured, wants a rest, is running down the clock, or is trying his best to irritate the desperate hosts. Maybe all four.
87 min: The crowd gather themselves and turn up the volume again. Can they push their impotent heroes on?
GOAL! Egypt 0-1 South Africa (Lorch 86)
They’re not worried now! Two passes out from the back, and Mothiba is racing down the right in acres, with Lorch free in the middle! No idea where Egypt’s defence has gone. But they’re not there. Lorch opens his body and rams a shot past El Shenawy and into the bottom right! The stadium falls silent in the style of the Maracana 1950. The hosts are on the verge of crashing out!
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84 min: A little better from Egypt, as Soliman immediately gets involved down the right, linking up with Elmohamady and Salah. They can’t quite open South Africa up, but for a second the visitors were worried.
83 min: Egypt make their last swap of the regulation 90 minutes. Soliman comes on for Elneny.
81 min: Salah goes chasing after a long punt down the right, but is beaten to the ball by Williams, who comes off his line, claims, then sets South Africa on the attack. Mothiba crosses from the right, and Tau is penalised for over-excited play in the box.
80 min: Ah no, Salah leaves it to Warda at the last moment. Warda floats a godawful free kick into the box, easy pickings for Williams. Even if Egypt do get through tonight, they don’t look like champions. They’ve been incredibly poor.
79 min: He’ll get another go from a similar spot, because Zungu is booked for a hysterical lunge on Warda.
78 min: A free kick for Egypt out on the left. They load the box. Salah takes, and fails to beat the first man. That was dismal.
77 min: Warda turns in from the left and whips a shot well wide of goal. He hardly had any space to work with. The South African defence has been super-solid tonight.
76 min: A contested drop ball in the middle of the park, after play is stopped so Mokotjo can get some treatment. A rare spot these days.
74 min: Salah backs himself in a footrace with Hlanti down the right ... and loses. Egypt can’t get anything going. A lot of their players are visibly anxious. Their cup hopes could be going south here, quite literally.
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72 min: A gorgeous move down the right, Mkhize in the centre of a series of one-twos that finally release Lorch into the box. He slams a shot towards the bottom right. El Shenawy parries and claims with safe hands. That was delicious football from South Africa.
70 min: Now it’s South Africa’s turn to pass up a golden opportunity to score. Hlanti swings the free kick towards the far post. Hlatshwayo rises highest and plants a header inches wide of the left-hand post. What a chance! He holds his head in despair.
69 min: Ashraf is booked for a late lunge on Mokotjo, who requires a little treatment as a result. It’s going to be a free kick out on the right.
68 min: Salah is at least looking a little livelier now. Elneny scoops a pass down the right, and he scampers after it, forcing Mkhwanazi into conceding a cheap corner. Nothing happens from the set piece, though, because Williams flaps in a crowded area, and gets his goalkeeper’s decision.
66 min: It’s not, though. It’s sent flat along the face of the Egyptian box, and easily cleared. Trezeguet races into acres of space on the counter, and very nearly releases Salah with a wedge down the inside-left channel. Mkhize does very well to read the danger and intercept.
65 min: A free kick for South Africa out on the right. Hlanti to take. This better be an improvement on that last atrocity.
64 min: Egypt make their second change, hooking El Said and sending on Warda.
63 min: A long ball down the middle panics Mkhize, who heads out for a corner under pressure from Ali. El Said to take the corner. The delivery is awful, and easily cleared. Hamed then shoots from the best part of 40 yards, which rather obviously signals Egyptian frustration.
61 min: Tau knocks the ball past Alaa down the right, in the playground style, then chases after it. He wins the race with the defender, but can’t catch up with the ball, failing by the width of a cigarette paper to keep it in play.
60 min: Hlanti fires the ball into the top left ... of the stand behind the goal. That was ludicrously off target. A preposterous effort. What a waste.
59 min: Hamed clips Mokotjo to the ground, 30 yards from goal. The resulting free kick is just right of centre. Hlanti to take. Everyone else on the edge of the box.
57 min: Ali flashes a wild one over the bar. But then Egypt come back at South Africa, and should really open the scoring. Salah, deep and cutting in from the right, rolls a stunning diagonal pass between the South African central defenders to release Trezeguet into the box, just to the left of goal. Trezeguet is one on one with Williams, and shapes to sidefoot into the bottom right ... but once again slaps a lame effort straight at the keeper. The best chance of the match.
56 min: Salah picks up a loose ball and bursts down the right. But Hlanti has his number, and barges him off the ball. The crowd are slipping into a frustrated funk. Their team have achieved very little tonight.
54 min: Salah has a belt from distance. It’s blocked. Egypt’s star man has been extremely quiet.
53 min: El Said wedges a ball over the top for Ali, who nearly gets clear of Mkhize. But the defender keeps strong and the striker can’t get a sniff. South Africa have been superb in defence. They’ve only conceded twice in the tournament so far. Egypt of course yet to let one in. We possibly shouldn’t be too surprised that it’s still 0-0.
51 min: Mkhwanazi launches long down the left and releases Lorch into an awful lot of space. Lorch lets Egypt off the hook by taking a heavy touch and running the ball out of play for a goal kick. There was danger for Egypt there.
50 min: Now it’s Egypt’s turn to whip in a cross. Elmohamady hoicks one in from the right, with Trezeguet waiting at the far post. But there’s far too much juice on the ball. Goal kick.
49 min: Space for Mokotjo down the left. He hooks into the box. El Shenawy goes well to punch clear under pressure from his own players ... and wins a free kick anyway. Goalkeepers are a protected species all right.
47 min: Egypt have obviously been given a rocket, though. Trezeguet bustles his way past Furman, then feeds Elneny, who strides purposefully towards the box and whistles a rising shot inches over the crossbar. Were that on target, it was nestling in the top left, and Williams wasn’t getting there.
46 min: Lorch is quickly up and at Egypt again, rolling his way down the left wing before sending across a fairly aimless pass to nobody.
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Here we go again! South Africa get the second half underway. Egypt have made one half-time change, withdrawing Mohsen and sending on Ahmed Ali.
Half-time entertainment. Other international tournaments are available. To this end, here’s Hope Solo on tomorrow’s Women’s World Cup final ...
... and Jonathan Wilson on Peru, the underdogs in the final tie of the Copa America.
HALF TIME: Egypt 0-0 South Africa
The South Africans have looked dangerous. The hosts have not.
45 min: Salah tries to cream a diagonal shot into the top left. It’s well wide, and Williams had it covered anyway.
44 min: Hlanti is booked for a slide tackle that results in his standing on Salah’s foot. Salah isn’t happy with the challenge and for a second it briefly threatens to kick off. But it’s just a yellow card, and a free kick just to the right of centre, 25 yards out.
43 min: Egypt enjoy a bit of sterile possession in the midfield. It’s not what the punters want to see, but in truth they could do with hearing the half-time whistle, so it’s not a bad ploy.
41 min: Salah tries to sprint past Mkhwanazi down the right, but runs out of room. He wants a free kick as the pair tussle, but the decision goes the other way. Salah, beyond livid, smashes a shot towards the side netting in anger and frustration. He’s very fortunate not to get himself booked.
39 min: Tau slips a pass down the inside-right channel for Lorch, who is denied a shot on goal by El Shenawy, out quickly to challenge. The next phase leads to a corner that causes quite the scramble. Egypt eventually clear, but they are rocking.
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38 min: Another Egyptian attack fizzles out into nothingness. Salah has been quiet; Trezeguet, one fine run apart, fairly ineffectual. If they don’t get their gamefaces on, and quick, they could be going out tonight.
36 min: A deep cross into the Egyptian box from the left. Hegazy misjudges it. Lorch takes up possession and sends a screamer goalwards from a tight angle. The shot hits Ashraf’s upper arm, but he had both of his arms behind his back, and the referee’s not interested in a clearly accidental incident. Then South Africa come again, Mokotjo sending a low fizzer inches wide of the left-hand post. Bafana Bafana have been by far the better team.
34 min: A free kick for South Africa out on the right. Hlanti whips it into the Egyptian area. Mohsen heads clear. South Africa take an age over the resulting throw. Nothing comes of it, but they’re doing a fine job of disrupting Egypt’s rhythm and frustrating the hosts.
33 min: A period of scrappy play. South Africa will be much the happier of the two teams. Egypt just haven’t got going.
31 min: Elmohamady has time and space down the inside-right. Salah is begging for the ball to his right. Elmohamady instead rolls a pass across the face of the box, hoping to tee up El Said for a shot. Mkhize is wise to Elmohamady’s game, though, and steps in to intercept with ease. Egypt are strangely ponderous in attack.
29 min: Mothiba’s presence on the edge of the Egyptian box creates panic, and a little space for his strike partner Lorch, on the right-hand edge of the D. Lorch swivels and sends a speculative snapshot inches wide of the left-hand post. The crowd are beginning to get a little pensive now. South Africa have come the closest to scoring, on more than a couple of occasions to boot.
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28 min: Egypt nearly open up South Africa with the cutest move of the match so far. Trezeguet drives down the inside-left channel and crisply one-twos with Mohsen, but just as it looks as though there’s a route into the box, Mkhize and Hlatshwayo slam the door shut.
26 min: A free kick for Egypt out on the left. El Said to take, with everyone else on the edge of the box. Mkhize heads clear with power. Suddenly South Africa are on the counter, with Egypt light, but Mokotjo and Lorch make some poor choices and the chance to trouble the hosts is gone. I’m not quite sure how this is still goalless, because both teams really are going for it.
24 min: ... Egypt should score. A simple blooter clear suddenly finds Salah leading a three-on-two charge, South Africa having seriously over-committed at the corner. Salah could take a shot on himself from the edge of the box, having run half the length of the pitch with the ball himself. But he opts to roll in Trezeguet to his right. Trezeguet’s clear in the box ... and he rolls a dismally soft effort straight at Williams, who does extremely well not to burst out laughing. That was awful.
23 min: The corner from the left is worked to the right flank. Furman loops into the mixer, forcing El Shenawy into a desperate tip away from a crowded six-yard box. Another corner. From which ...
22 min: Lorch stands over it. He’s preparing to take. But then he wanders off, and Tau whips a glorious effort over the wall and towards the top left. El Shenawy, who has been in decent form in this tournament, tips over the bar. Nothing was expected of South Africa tonight, but they’re right in this match.
21 min: Lorch and Mokotjo busy themselves 25 yards from the Egyptian goal. Eventually an Egyptian leg extends in frustration and clips Mokotjo over. A free kick in a very dangerous central position.
19 min: South Africa have been excellent so far. It’s the sort of performance that would, in most other stadiums, have quietened the crowd. Not here. Not this one. The atmosphere is fantastic.
17 min: A long diagonal pass by Elneny sets Salah scampering down the right. He’s in space, but his cross is no good. Egypt may be the hosts and hot favourites to win this match, but they aren’t quite clicking at the moment. South Africa are giving as good as they’re getting.
15 min: A poor touch by Furman allows Salah to break upfield with great intent. He’s got Mohsen to his left, and should play him in on goal with an easy pass. But Salah’s pass is poor, behind his team-mate, and South Africa are allowed to go up the other end themselves, Tau cutting in from the right again and looking for the top right from 25 yards. He stings El Shenawy’s hands, a fine effort.
13 min: Salah drops deep and wedges a pass down the inside-right channel for El Said. There’s just too much weight on the ball, which was a shame for Egypt as El Said had sprung the offside trap with a perfectly timed burst.
11 min: A brief break in play as Hamed gets some treatment. It looks like Mothiba accidentally stood on his trouser arrangement as he made his challenge. That’s gotta hurt.
10 min: Mothiba tears at great speed down the right, and for a second it looks like he’s breaking clear. Hamed slides in, though, to stop him with a desperate last-ditch tackle. Mothiba performs a spectacular triple roll in the hope of winning a free kick on the edge of the box, but it’s a fair tackle, just, and Egypt clear their lines.
8 min: El Said takes possibly the worst free kick in the entire history of the sport. With the box loaded, he hoofs the ball from a position tight on the byline as hard as he can, miles over the heads of everyone in the area, and out of play for a goal kick. That really was appalling. Such good work from Trezeguet to win the free kick, as well.
7 min: Some sloppy play by South Africa in the midfield, and Trezeguet is allowed to showcase his skills down the left. He draws a foul from Mkhize, and this is a free kick that’s essentially a corner.
5 min: Salah slips a pass down the right for Elmohamady, who from the byline cuts the ball back into the box. A deflection sends the ball straight to Salah, just inside the area. He has a first-time flash towards the bottom right, but it nicks off a defender and out for a corner. Nothing comes of the resulting set piece, but that was a very decent chance for Salah, and he really should have done better.
3 min: This is a very hectic start. Mohsen sends a shot straight at Williams. Then up the other end, Tau sashays in from the right and peals a shot over the bar from 25 yards. Well over in the end, but it was a fantastic run.
2 min: Trezeguet works his way down the left and crosses to ... nobody in particular. But the hosts will be happy at having made progress down both flanks already.
We have kick-off! The hosts get the party started, and stroke it around the back for a bit. Then suddenly Elmohamady sprints down the right and crosses ... to nobody in particular. South Africa come straight back at Egypt, Lorch sending a strange floater in from the left that’s an easy claim for El Shenawy. A bright start!
The teams are out! Both anthems performed and thoroughly respected. Egypt’s bumps along at a fair old pace, and one of the players is a good few semitones out of key, but he’s belting it out with great passion so fair enough. South Africa’s epic is only a few minutes shorter than the Ring Cycle. Egypt sport red shirts and white shorts. South Africa wear yellow shirts and green shorts. We’ll be off in a minute!
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A magnificent atmosphere under the lights at the Cairo International Stadium. It looks like a near-capacity 75,000 crowd, and they’re all giving it plenty. The home fans are busy honouring their favourites ...
... but Bafana Bafana have some spirited backing too.
Egypt won all three of their Group A matches. A goal from right-winger Trezeguet decided their opening match against Zimbabwe. After that, they registered two identical victories against DR Congo and Uganda: both matches ended 2-0 with goals from Mohamed Salah and captain Ahmed El Mohamady.
South Africa have coughed and spluttered. Two 1-0 losses, to the Ivory Coast and Morocco, bookmarked a 1-0 win over Namibia. Bongani Zungu is their only goalscorer in the tournament so far. It was enough to scrape into the knockout stage as the fourth-best third-placed finishers.
This is only the third time Egypt and South Africa have met in the Africa Cup of Nations. On both previous occasions, the Pharaohs have beaten Bafana Bafana, 1-0 in the groups in 1996, 2-0 in the 1998 final. OK, it’s a small sample size, but given that South Africa went on to lift the cup in 1996, whoever wins today will be thinking history is very much on their side going forwards. The winner of this match will meet Nigeria in the quarters.
The teams: Salah starts!
Egypt: Mohamed El-Shenawy, Ashraf, Ahmed El Mohamady, Hegazy, Alaa, Hamed, Elneny, El Said, Salah, Mohsen, Trezeguet.
Subs: Razek El-Shenawy, Morsy El Mohamady, Gaber, Ghazal, Said, Mansour, Kamel, Hamdi, Emad, Warda.
South Africa: Williams, Hlanti, Mkhwanazi, Hlatshwayo, Mkhize, Furman, Zungu, Mokotjo, Lorch, Mothiba, Tau.
Subs: Keet, Maela, Cardoso, Mphahlele, Maboe, Serero, Mabunda, Bvuma, Vilakazi, Kekana, Veldwijk.
Referee: Eric Otogo-Castane (Gabon).
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Preamble
Can hosts Egypt make it to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations? Recent form points to yes. They won all three of their group games, and while the performances have yet to wow their fans, at least they’re getting the job done.
By comparison, South Africa only scraped into the last 16 as the fourth and final best third-placed finishers from the groups. They scored a grand total of one goal in doing so. South Africa manager Stuart Baxter is on record saying it’d be a “national disaster” for Egypt should they fail to win this one, and you can see his point.
But this is football, so, y’know. And there’s a chance Mohamed Salah could be out, having sat out training yesterday with a heavy cold. Can the 1996 champs cause a huge upset and turf the seven-time winners out of their own party? We’ll find out soon enough. It’s on!
Kick-off in Cairo: 8pm BST, 9pm local.
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