With this result, Egypt now need only a draw in their upcoming fixture against second-placed Burkina Faso on Tuesday as they sit atop Group A with 19 points, five ahead of the Burkinabe side, while Ethiopia remain second from the bottom with 6 points, five ahead of last-placed Djibouti.
Supported by nearly 30 000 supporters in Cairo Stadium, Egypt dominated the match from the outset, pushing for an early goal against a compact Ethiopian defense.
Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush nearly opened the scoring early when he received a pass from Ahly winger Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan on the left flank, but his shot was saved by Ethiopian goalkeeper Abubeker Nura.
Four minutes later, Nura was again called into action, stopping Trezeguet’s shot from the left side after a long pass from Liverpool star Mohamed Salah.
In the 19th minute, Nura proved his worth once more, confidently catching a header from NBE Club striker Osama Faisal following a corner kick.
Just two minutes later, Nura’s left post came to his aid, deflecting Trezeguet’s shot away from the net.
The Walia Ibex relied on sporadic fast breaks, but their players failed to pose any real threat to Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy.
In the 38th minute, the referee awarded Egypt a penalty after Trezeguet was obstructed in the area, with Salah stepping up to take the penalty, converting it with a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner three minutes later.
Just before the break, Egypt was awarded a second penalty following a handball, which Marmoush confidently converted with a right-footed shot.
Quiet Second Half
After the break, Ethiopia capitalized on Egypt’s faltering play, exchanging control of the game with the Pharaohs.
Five minutes into the second half, Ahly star Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed sent a precise cross into the area for Salah, whose shot went over the bar.
In the 57th minute, Nura made a brilliant save to block Zizo’s right-footed strike, and Faisal followed up with another shot that was blocked by the defense, ending with Trezeguet shooting from close range but inexplicably sending it over the bar.
Three minutes after the hour mark, Egypt coach Hossam Hassan injected fresh energy into his lineup, introducing Ibrahim Adel and Mohanad Lasheen in place of Marmoush and Zizo.
However, Egypt’s frontline appeared shaky, failing to create significant threats against Ethiopia’s goal.
In the 76th minute, Salah set up Faisal with a precise cross, but Nura made another brilliant save.
Three minutes later, Hassan brought on Mahmoud Saber and Mostafa Mohamed for Trezeguet and Faisal, but the substitutions proved ineffective.
In the 82nd minute, El-Shenawy came to the rescue once again, blocking a dangerous shot from close range.
The team will travel to play Burkina Faso in four days.
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