Egypt suporters were shocked to see their national team off to a weak start, but this did not make the outcome any less distressing.
Senegal beat Egypt 3-1 in a penalty shootout to earn a place in the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The game, played on Tuesday in Stade Olympique de Diamniadio Stadium in Dakar, had ended 1-0 for Senegal in the second-leg of the African qualifier.
Egypt had won 1-0 in Cairo on Friday.
On Tuesday, Sadio Mane scored the winning penalty, the Liverpool star having done the same last month when Senegal defeated Egypt in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
Senegal got off to a fast start when Boulaye Dia scored from close range in the third minute after a corner was headed away poorly by left back Ahmed Fattouh.
Chances were hard to come by for either team in an ill-tempered match which referee Mustapha Ghorbal of Algeria often had trouble controlling.
But substitute Ahmed Zizo had two good chances in the second half with a header and a low shot, both of which narrowly missed.
Egypt’s goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Shinnawi stole the show in the first half of extra time, saving clear-cut scoring chances. He made a brilliant save to block a close-range effort from Ismaila Sarr and two point-blank shots in succession by Pape Abou Cisse.
In the shootout, the first four shots were wasted, two by Mane’s Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah and Zizo, Egypt’s two best spot shooters.
After Sarr and Amr Sulaiya scored the third penalties, Mustafa Mohamed had his shot blocked by the legs of Edouardo Mendy, leaving Mane to bring the curtain down on Egypt.
In the first game in Egypt the Pharaohs had claimed a narrow advantage with a 1-0 win thanks to an own goal from Saliou Ciss after a shot by Salah ricocheted off the crossbar.
The Pharaohs and Lions of Teranga were bidding to secure a place in the 2022 FIFA World Cup that will take place in Qatar from 21 November to 18 December, as both teams eyed a second successive World Cup appearance.
Senegal reached the World Cup twice, in 2002 and 2018, while Egypt made it to the prestigious tournament three times, in 1934, 1990, and 2018.
Egypt’s Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz was hoping to lead Egypt to their fourth World Cup and his fifth, having previously led South Africa, Portugal and Iran to football’s most prestigious showpiece.
Egypt were playing without their two starting central defenders. Mahmoud Al-Wensh received his second yellow card in the first leg while Mohamed Abdel-Moneim broke his nose in the same match.
Senegal were without Paris Saint-Germain defender Abdou Diallo who was taken off in the first half of Friday’s clash after sustaining what appeared to be a groin injury.
*A version of this article appears in print in the 31 March, 2022 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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