February 4 – Egypt eliminated hosts Cameroon from the Africa Cup of Nations with Egyptian goalkeeper Gabaski saving two penalties in the spot-kick shootout to set up a final against Senegal.
On Sunday, the Egyptians will go in search of a record eighth title when they play the Lions of Teranga, who eliminated Burkina Faso 3-1 in the other semi-final, but the Pharaohs will be without their coach Carlos Queiroz who was sent off for remonstrating with the referee. Such was the tension in a fiercely contested match which saw no goals in the space of 120 minutes.
The hosts Cameroon twice struck the woodwork through Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui’s header and Samuel Gouet’s long-range attempt, but they failed to find the breakthrough. The Cameroonians kept Egypt’s star player Mohamed Salah largely in check.
In the shootout, Gabaski turned the hero saving two spot-kicks to ensure Egypt’s passage to the tournament’ showpiece match on Sunday.
“It is a big disappointment,” said Cameroon star striker Vincent Aboubakar after the elimination. “We are organising the tournament. Whenever we play a collective game we win, but today everyone wants to show what he is capable of. You pay cash for it. Everyone was thinking of himself. That was the problem.”
On Saturday, the Indomitable Lions, five-time winners and 2017 champions, will play Burkina Faso in the third-place playoff.
The final will be the first of three crunch matches between Egypt and Senegal. On Sunday, they play for the continental crown and in March the two countries will face off to decide one of Africa’s five World Cup tickets.
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