Full-time: Egypt 2-0 Uganda; Zimbabwe 0-4 DR Congo
The hosts stride on to the next round with a perfect record - three wins from three matches and no goals conceded - and they will be joined by Uganda, who have them a real fright here and should have scored at least one goal. It was a thoroughly entertaining match. The Pharaohs and Cranes may be joined in the next round by DR Congo, who found form at last and crushed Zimbabwe 4-0.
90+2 min: El Mohamady leaps to win a header but then lands horribly, smashing his face into the grass. There’ll be another break as he receives attention.
Egypt substitution: Gaber on, Elmohamady off. The manager daren’t withdraw Salah, apparently. No rest for the sainted.
90 min: There will be at least five more minutes. Enough time for Uganda to get a goal to reward their vibrant attacking?
88 min: After much ado about a freekick, Egypt eventually decide who’s going to take it ... and they waste it. Still, they managed to run down the clock, brining them that bit closer to victory.
87 min: Salah, wide on the right, chops back on to his left foot and tries his luck from the corner of the box. The shot flies over the bar.
86 min: Freekick to Egypt wide on the right. El Said delivers, but Hegazi can’t reach it.
82 min: Corner to Uganda, as Abdu tears down the right again and sends in a cross that’s put behind. El-Shenawy makes a mess of his attempt to cut out the incoming corner but gets lucky, as no one anticipated him missing the ball at the near post, so it bounces across the face of goal to safety.
GOAL! Zimbabwe 0-4 DR Congo (Assombalonga 78) Their ‘best third-placed’ prospects are improving by the minute.
79 min: A flash of trickery brings yelps of joy from the home crowd, who haven’t had much to cheer about in this half, which has been dominated by effervescent Uganda.
Uganda substitution: Kizito on, Kyambadde off
75 min: Ashraf pads down the left and hoists over a cross. It sails beyond the back post.
73 min: A long ball from the back catches out Hegazi, whose nod back to the keeper isn’t strong enough. Okwi latches on to it and nudges it past the advancing keeper ... and a yard past the post! Uganda still haven’t scored. Incredible!
Uganda substitution: Odongkara on, Onyango off. The first-choice goalkeeper leaves on a stretcher. It’s still not clear what happened him: it doesn’t seem to be a contact-injury. Might it be heat-related? There has been no water-breaks in this match.
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GOAL! Zimbabwe 0-3 DR Congo. Bakambu has struck his second of the game for the Leopards, suggesting that he and his team have found form at last. And it just might be enough for them to sneak though as one of the best t third-placed teams. Uganda are definitely going to finish second (unless they come back and beat Egypt here).
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67 min: Onyango goes down and asks for treatment. The ball was nowhere near him at the time so it’s not clear what’s wrong.
65 min: Better from Egypt. They pop the ball around for a bit, deflating Uganda’s vim and then try to up the tempo in the final third and wrench open the opposing defence. But Uganda stay vigilant and fend them off.
63 min: Salah tries to wriggle free in the centre circle but can’t get away from Aucho, who eventually takes the ball off him.
Egypt substitution: Hamed on, Elneny off.
62 min: Well Uganda aren’t going to get a goal if they keep shooting like that: Miya wastes a promising freekick with a useless shot wide of the near post.
61 min: Elmohamady booked for tripping Okwi just outside the Egyptian box, at the left-hand corner of it. Uganda will be sick if they don’t finish this match with a goal, at least, given the amount of pressure they’ve put on the hosts.
60 min: What a let-off for Egypt! A freekick from the right reached Aucho beyond the back post and when he flashes it hard and low across the face of goal, Ashraf tried to clear hastily but shanked it just wide of his own post!
59 min: Kyambadde catches Elmohamady with a very late sliding challenge. Then he complains when shown a yellow card.
57 min: Miya sends a good effort spinning over the wall ... and on to the roof of the net.
56 min: This isn’t about counter-attacking any more: Uganda are controlling possession and have corralled the hosts into their own half. Egypt are forced into conceding a freekick some 25 yards out, bang centre.
54 min: Elmohamady fails to clear a cross from the right, letting the ball bounce to Miya, who lets fly from 10 yards. but Elmohamady reacts quickly enough to get a slight deflection on to it, causing it to whizz over the bar. It’s quite surprising that Uganda haven’t scored yet. They continue to create great chances.
51 min: Ashraf wins possession authoritatively to launch a counter-attack. Trezeguet nips a lovely ball through to Salah, who has a great chance to claim his second goal. Running at speed in to the right-hand corner of the box, he tries to curl it around the keeper and into the far corner, but Onyango makes a terrific save!
49 min: El Mohamady harassed into conceding another corner after another promising move orchestrated by Miya. Another bad delivery, though.
47 min: Uganda threaten again, MIya driving inches wide from 12 yards! The flag was up for offside but the replay confirms that he was on.
46 min: Uganda get the second half going. They’ve made no personnel change - Kaddu still on standby - and surely won’t change their counter-attacking zest.
Half-time: Egypt 2-0 Uganda
It’s been an exhilarating half, and the scoreline doesn’t tell the story well. Because Uganda were the better side for most of it, their speed and enterprise seriously troubling the hosts. But the Pharaohs look to be heading to the top of the group thanks to a fine freekick by Salah and a nice goal on the break by Elmohamady, who now has four goals in his last eight matches for his country. Uganda have shown enough attacking quality to suggest this game is not quite done; and the good news is they are likely to secure second spot in the group even if they lose, because DR Congo are leading 2-0 against Zimbabwe in the other game in this group. Stay tuned!
GOAL! Egypt 2-0 Uganda (Elmohamady 45+1)
Trezeguet charges down the left and crosses low. It’s fractionally beyond Salah, but Elmohamady retrieves at the right-hand side of the box and lashes a crisp low shot into the bottom corner from 12 yards!
43 min: Kyambadde bothers Egypt again with his searing pace, and then releases Abdu, running in to the right-hand side of the box. Abdu’s shot is weak but El-Shenawy decides against trying to catch it and instead pushes it out for a corner.
42 min: Salah scoots down the right but fails to deliver a useful cross.
40 min: Emad slides in to disposses Kyambadde on half-way. He won the ball but send the forward flying. One of the most satisfying things a defender can do, but many refs frown upon that these days.
GOAL! Zimbabwe 0-2 DR Congo. Bakambu has increased the Leopards’ lead and that, at least, is good news for Uganda, who’ll go through in second spot if the scores remain the same.
38 min: Trezeguet takes a brilliant pass by Elneny on his chest and then swivels and opens fire from 16 yards, bringing a difficult save from Onyango.
GOAL! Egypt 1-0 Uganda (Salah 36)
Salah brings the stadium to eruption with a freekick freekick from 25 yards, curled over the wall and beyond a slightly sluggish dive by Onyango. Uganda had been the more dangerous team until then, but the hosts have the lead.
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34 min: Abdu scorches past El Mohamady down the left and cuts into the box. He fires off a shot from a difficult angle. The keeper pushes it up into the air, a defender heads it weakly, and Abdu jumps up to head towards goal again. Saved by El-Shenawy.
32 min: Uganda don’t put the goalkeeper under pressure from the corner, and it’s cleared out to Trezeguet, who romps down the left on the counter-attack! Uganda scramble well and shut down the danger. They’re very pesky opponents, as Egypt are finding.
31 min: The irrepressible Kyambadde fires off a swirling drive from 25 yards. El-Shenawy looks in trouble but manages just about to bat it over the bar! He then fell backwards into the net and appears to have injured himself. But after a bit of treatment he says he can play on. Uganda should plant the corner right on top of him now ...
29 min: Nifty work by Kyambadde down the left, swapping passes with Walusimbi before lashing a nice shot goalward from the corner of the box. El-Sehnawy has to make another save. He’s been by far the busier of the keepers.
27 min: El Said flight a corner towards the back post. Onyango paws it away from the head of Hegazi.
Egypt substitution: Mohsen on, Hassan off, that injury seemingly being insurmountable after all.
24 min: Miya goes for a goal from the freekick, and misses by a long way.
22 min: Aucho launches another swift Uganda counter-attack with a well-aimed pass from deep. Ashraf brings down Kyambadde, conceding a freekick near the left-hand corner of the Egypitan box. Danger here ...
20 min: After a splash with the magic sponge, Hassan is back on his feet, which will please our man Will Unwin, who wrote this about him.
19 min: Hassan gets clattered by Aucho and the ball squirts through to Salah, who’s one-on-one with the keeper. But the referee pulls him back to give Egypt the freekick. “Thanks ref!” think Uganda fans everywhere.
16 min: The whole crowd jump to their feet in giddy anticipation as Salah runs on to a ball over the top. The defender keeps pace with him, so Salah tries to eliminate him with a one-two, but the return ball from Emad is overhit.
14 min: Superb play by Miya in midfield, cruising away from two players before threading a pass through for Okwi to chase. The striker duly gets to the ball first and cracks off a decent shot from a difficult angle, forcing a save from El-Shenawy.
12 min: Egypt are not enjoying this. Uganda are looking lively, quicker to the ball and full of attacking intent.
10 min: Lumalu is down receiving treatment after copping the ball in his face as he charged down a kick by the goalkeeper.
8 min: Uganda are proving quite the irritant to the hosts. They’re fast to launch attacks and have forced a couple of corners in the last two minutes, though both were cleared easily at the near post.
GOAL! Zimbabwe 0-1 DR Congo. Bolingi has given the Leopards the lead in the other game in this group. If that screline stays the same, Uganda will seal second place in the group, at least, no matter what happens here.
6 min: Miya’s corner is cleared at the near post. But Uganda win it back and work it wide to Miya again on the right. he cuts inside and unloads a good shot from the corner of the box. It bounces just in front of El-Shenawy, who holds well.
5 min: Trezeguet continues his fine tournament with a barnstorming run down the left. He makes it into the box before going down under a strong and legitimate tackle. The crowd howl for a penalty but won’t get their wish.
3 min: Salah has begun wide on the right again but is taking every opportunity to dart towards the centre, where Hassan is the main targetman.
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1 min: Off we go. Egypt begin stroking the ball around confidently but almost come a cropper when Okwi nearly nicks the ball off Hegazi. but the defender recovers.
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A minute’s silence is observed for the former Zaire striker Ndaye Mulmabe, who died earlier this year after an extraordinary life.
A draw will be enough for Egypt to secure top spot in the group, which would be important because it would give them an easier Last 16 tie and enable them to continue playing in Cairo, where the atmosphere for the hosts’ matches is immense.
Here’s Nick Ames with details of the controversy polluting the buildup to this match for Egypt.
At Egypt v Uganda, which starts shortly, so one more link to this piece on the scandal that has enveloped the hosts – and Mohamed Salah – over the past few days. A few more bits & pieces on early AFCON topics in there too. https://t.co/cRO0YdzvpS
— Nick Ames (@NickAmes82) June 30, 2019
Here are the lineups for the other game in this group, where both teams need to win to prolong their tournament, although even that may not be enough for DR Congo.
Zimbabwe: Chigova; Darikwa, Mhlanga, Hadebe, Pfumbidzai; Munetsi, Phiri, Karuru; Chaeapiwa, Musona, Billiat
DR Congo: Matampi; Issama, Mbemba, Tisserand, Ngonda; Akolo, Mulumbu, Moke, Maghoma; Bolingi, Bakambu
Those lineups don’t suggest that Egypt are easing up just because they’re guaranteed a place in the next round. They want to win this group, which is wise: because finishing top will set up a last-16 meeting with one of the third-placed finishers, whereas the runners-up in this group are likely to meet Senegal. Uganda will be keen to avoid that, too, but they’ve decided to rest Kaddu and Lwanga, two of their best players in the tournament so far. But the excellent Farouk Miya will still be pulling the strings in midfield.
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Teams
Egypt: El-Shenawy; Elmohamady, Hegazy, El Mohamady, Ashray; Emad, Elneny; Salah, Said, Trezeguet; Hassan
Subs: R El-Shenawy, Gaber, Ghazal, Hamed, Mohsen, Soliman Said, Mansour, Kamel, Hamdi, Alaa
Uganda: Onyango; Wadada, Awany, Wasswa, Waluismbi; Miya, Azira, Aucho; Abdu, Okwi, Kyambadde
Subs: Odongkara, Ochaya, Mugabi, Lwanga, Kaddu, Kizito, Nsibambi, Mukiibi, Kateregga, Magoola, Muleme
Referee: M Ndiaye (Senegal)
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Preamble
“If Madagascar can do it, why can’t we?” A comment to that effect is sure to be made in the Uganda dressing room before this one, and it’s well-founded. The Cranes have played well in the tournament so far - with invention and cohesion - and are capable of downing the Pharaohs and nicking top spot in the group if Salah & Co are not on song. Egypt are already into the next round but son’t be taking this lightly, not with over 70,000 home fans demanding victory. In the pre-match press conference captain Ahmed Elmohamady even went so far as to say: “I promise the fans to lift the Afcon title.” It’s on!
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