On a night of insanity, Egypt made it to the round of 16 in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) but needed a healthy dose of luck from elsewhere.
On Monday, in Group B, Egypt and Cape Verde tied 2-2 in the final group stage match while Mozambique scored twice to draw 2-2 with Ghana.
It sounds straightforward enough but there were four injury-time goals in the two games which were played simultaneously.
Those goals in added time made all the difference.
By the time the whistles had sounded on the two fields, Cape Verde had finished atop the group with seven points. Egypt came second with three points and automatic qualification as well. Ghana and Mozambique ended on two points each which in all likelihood will mean the end of their stay in host country Cote d’Ivoire.
Against Egypt, just before halftime, Cape Verde’s Gilson Tavares scored from a crowded, mixed up defensive melee to score the opening goal.
Trabzonspor winger Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan came off the bench at the start of the second half and levelled for Egypt five minutes into his appearance.
Mustafa Mohamed took a cross on his chest in injury time to lob the keeper Vozinha in the 91st minute for a 2-1 lead but Teixeira’s goal in the 99th minute made it 2-2.
Still, the draw was enough for Egypt to finish second and qualify, but the players apparently didn’t know it at the time, as some fell to their knees and covered their faces in disbelief. They were unaware that Ghana had also tied with Mozambique which would have given Egypt the coveted second place slot.
In that game, Ghana were cruising into extra time leading 2-0 only to be stunned by Mozambique not once but twice in overtime to let a sure win devolve into a virtually meaningless tie.
Had Ghana been able to hold on for what looked like a certain win, they would have finished in second with four points and Egypt would have finished third. AFCON’s format takes the first two in six groups plus the next best four teams into the round of 16.
Egypt’s fate in the tournament would then have been in the hands of other teams in other groups.
But the final whistle brought confirmation of Ghana’s result, and a huge sigh of relief for Egypt after a rollercoaster ride of emotions.
Watching intently from the stands was Egypt’s skipper Mohamed Salah, desperate for Egypt to win the AFCON for a record eighth time although none were won with him playing. Salah was unavailable for Monday’s match following a leg injury he sustained against Ghana in match two of the group stage.
Salah might be out for the rest of the tournament. Doing without the services of one of the world’s best players would be a big blow for Egypt. However, Trezeguet, the former Aston Villa forward, has been making up for Salah’s absence admirably. Against Cape Verde, he came on at half-time and almost scored within 30 seconds, then equalised a few minutes later with a thrilling goal after a flashy one-two with central defender Ahmed Hegazi that went through Vozinha’s legs.
Trezeguet blasted just wide shortly after his goal, then set up Mohamed for Egypt’s second. For his efforts Trezeguet was in anybody’s book the man of the match, at the heart of Egypt’s best openings. He is also the man of the moment. Nobody can fully replace Salah, but Trezeguet, Egypt’s talisman in the second half, is the next best thing.
Group B provided some unforgettable moments, and not just the overtime nail-biting ends. This was a group that African heavyweights Egypt and Ghana, between them 11 AFCON titles, were supposed to dominate. Minnows Cape Verde and Mozambique were supposed to fight for the leftovers. But in this topsy-turvy group, the lesser known teams became giant killers.
Egypt would rather forget Group B and start from scratch in the last 16. The team played three matches and drew all of them – all 2-2 scores. Egypt had to come from behind in every one of them; against Ghana they needed to come back from the dead twice.
While scoring an average of two goals a game is evidence of some offensive firepower, letting in two goals a game is evidence of a leaky defence - epitomised by the goalmouth scramble for Cape Verde’s first goal - that Egypt’s Portuguese coach Rui Vitoria must somehow plug.
The yawning gap of four points between Cape Verde in first place and Egypt in second also means that the little guys in Africa are not only catching up but that Egypt’s results have been underwhelming at best.
But against Cape Verde, Egypt appear to have hit form at just the right time. There was lucidity in their play, a fearlessness on the attack that was sorely missing against Mozambique and Ghana. Most importantly, their determination to come from behind repeatedly will perhaps serve them in good stead the rest of the way.
In the round of 16, the Pharaohs will face the runners-up of Group F which includes Morocco, DR Congo, Tanzania and Zambia. The game will be played on Sunday 28 January.
As of writing, before game three in the group, Morocco were ahead with four points, followed by DR Congo and Zambia with two points each and Tanzania at the bottom with one point.
On Wednesday 24 January Zambia were scheduled to play Morocco and Tanzania the DR Congo. The games were played after Al-Ahram Weekly went to press.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 January, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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