FT: Egypt 3-2 Ghana
Match report
Lineups:
Egypt: Mohamed Sobhi - Ossama Galal, Mohamed Abdel-Salam, Ahmed Ramadan - Karim El-Eraky, Akram Tawfik, Ammar Hamdi (Ahmed Yasser 78), Ahmed Aboul-Fotouh - Ramadan Sobhi, Salah Mohsen (Abdel-Rahman Magdi 65), Mostafa Mohamed (Emam Ashour 90+2).
Ghana: Kwame Baah - Kingsley Fobi, Edward Sarpong, Zackaria Fuseini, Habib Mohammed, Emmanuel Lomotey, Yaw Yeboah, Michael Agbekpornu (Simon Zibo 70), Evans Mensah (Abbas Issah 86), Samuel Obeng, Kwabena Owusu (Evans Osei 77).
Egypt qualifies for the semi final.
90+4 Final whistle.
90+2 Emam Ashour replaces Mostafa Mohamed.
90' Ref shows 4 minutes of injury time
89' Rayan scores after meeting Sobhi's corner kick.
89' GOOOAAL FOR EGYPT
86' GREAT chance for Egypt but Aboul-Fotouh's shot is blocked by the last defender.
85' Egypt are pressing forward to get the equaliser.
82' Ramadan Sobhi scores the equaliser after picking the rebound from Magdi's shot
82' GOOOAAAL FOR EGYPT !
Egypt's Ramadan Sobhi celebrates (Reuters)
78' Second sub for Egypt. Ahmaed Yasser Rayan replaces Ammar Hamdi.
75' What a chance for Egypt ! Eraky's powerful shot crashes off the bar.
70' Yellow card for keeper Bah for wasting time.
69' Magdi has a first attempt on goal but it goes wide.
65' First sub for Egypt: Abdel-Rahman Magdi replaces Salah Mohsen
63' Brilliant solo effort by Ramadan who set up Mohsen in the area but his tight-angled shot goes into the hands of the keeper.
57' Mohamed misses another great chance for Egypt as his shot from inside the box is saved by the keeper.
56' Egypt have a goal disallowed as Ramadan Sobhi was ruled offside.
53' WHAT A CHANCE FOR EGYPT ! Mohamed received a low cross from Ramadan Sobhi but his poor shot goes easily into the hands of the keeper. He should have scored his second.
50' Mensah shoots from distance but it goes easily in the hands of the keeper.
47' GOAL FOR GHANA ! Obeng intercepts a short pass from Abdel-Salam to round the keeper and score in an empty nets.
46' Second half is underway
45+1 Half time
45' Ref shows 1 minute of injury time.
44' Ramadan Sobhi skips past two defenders to get into the area but is blocked by the last defender.
40' Powerful long range shot by Ramadan Sobhi and the keeper had to make a great save to deny him.
34' Powerful shot by Fobi but Sobhi holds it.
33' Yellow card for Fobi after an elbow against Aboul-Fotouh
30' WHAT A CHANCE FOR EGYPT ! El Eraky's volley shot goes wide over the bar. He should have scored.
25' Ramadan ghosts in the area but he falls too easily in the area. Referee waves play on.
19' Mostafa Mohamed scores the equaliser after sending a powerful header on Aboul-Fotouh cross.
18' GOOAAL FOR EGYPT !
Egypt's Mostafa Mohamed celebrates scoring their first goal (Reuters)
17' Powerful free kick by Mensah but it goes over the bar.
16' Yellow card for Ammar Hamdi
15' Corner for Egypt ! Salah Mohsen powers a header but it goes over the bar.
12' Another chance for Ghana, Owusu could have doubled the lead but his first time shot from inside the box went wide.
10' Corner for Egypt, Sobhi's header goes wide.
6' GOAL for Ghana! Yaw Yeboah scores the opener for the Black Stars.
Ghana's Yaw Yeboah celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS
5' The hosts are pushing forward in the opening minutes
0' Match is underway
19:15 Both teams are warming up now.
18:00 Ghana make two changes to their formation as Emmanuel Lomotey and Samuel Obeng will start the game.
16:30 It has been confirmed that Ahly's playmaker Nasser Maher will miss the rest of the tournament due to injury, adding more woes for Gharib, who is already missing the services of other key players like Karim Nedved, Taher Mohamed and Mohamed Mahmoud due to different injuries.
16:00 "The Ghana match is an important one and we’ve studied them well, like we had with Mali. Ghana's team will have bigger ambitions as the team has many good players who seek to play abroad. We have no other option but to win to reach the next round," Gharib explained.
15:30 After the victory over Mali, Egypt now top Group A with three points, while Cameroon and Ghana share the spoils after their 1-1 draw, also on Friday. The top three in the tournament will reach next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo.
15:00 Egypt coach Shawky Gharib has defended his team's strategy in the current U23 Africa Cup of Nations, asking Egyptian fans for more support in Monday's second match against Ghana.
"I didn't ask players to concentrate only on defence, but our responsibility was to keep our leadership and win the match. Dominating the ball isn't the most important thing in football as winning is more important in the current period," the coach said in the Ghana pre-match press conference on Sunday.
"Egypt’s team is a big one and we play only to win and reach the Olympics," he added.
13:45 Ghana were held to a 1-1 draw against Cameroon in their openeing match also on Friday.
12:25 Egypt are playing in Group A along with Cameroon, Ghana and Mali.
11:30 Egypt, who are looking to reach the Olympic Games for the first time since 2012, haven't been able to book an Olympics spot since their convincing appearance seven years ago in London, when they bowed out in the quarter-finals following a 3-0 defeat by Japan at the Old Trafford.
11:20 Hosts Egypt will be facing Ghana in their 2nd match of the U23 African Nations Cup on Monday. The young Pharaohs defeated Mali 1-0 in the opening match on Friday.
Venue: Cairo stadium
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