Heartbreak for Egypt after Afcon final defeat brings fairy-tale run to tearful finale

Senegal's victory in penalty shootout denies Pharaohs record-externding eighth title

Senegal's Sadio Mane celebrates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations after a penalty shoot-out against Egypt at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde on Sunday, February 6, 2022. Reuters

Senegal players celebrate after winning the Africa Cup of Nations. Reuters

Egypt's Mohamed Salah looks dejected after losing the Africa Cup of Nations final. Reuters

Senegal's goalkeeper Edouard Mendy (C) celebrates with teammates after winning the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 final football match between Senegal and Egypt at Stade d'Olembe in Yaounde on February 6, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

Egypt's Mohamed Elneny in tears after the final. Reuters

Egypt's goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal during a penalty shoot-out. AFP

Senegal's supporters cheer at the end of the Africa Cup of Nations final. AFP

Senegal's Idrissa Gana Gueye and Sadio Mane celebrate after winning the penalty shoot-out in the Afcon final against Egypt. Reuters

Senegal players celebrate winning the Africa Cup of Nations after a penalty shoot-out in the final against Egypt at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde on Sunday, February 6, 2022. Reuters

Senegal's forward Sadio Mane, left, Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah and goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal speak before a penalty kick during the Africa Cup of Nations final. AFP

Egypt's goalkeeper Mohamed Abogabal stops a shot by Senegal's Sadio Mane during the Africa Cup of Nations final in Yaounde. AFP

Mohamed Salah during the Afcon final against Senegal at Stade d'Olembe in Yaounde. AFP

Egypt supporters in Yaounde on Sunday. AFP

Senegal's Kalidou Koulibaly, left, challenges Egypt's Mohamed Salah in Yaounde. AP

Senegal's Idrissa Gana Gueye shoots at goal from a free kick. Reuters

Senegal's head coach Aliou Cisse during the Africa Cup of Nations final. AFP

The Pharaohs’ fairy-tale run in the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon has ended in tears and heartbreak. Back at home, their loss to Senegal in Sunday night’s final left a nation in a state of grief yet tinged with pride and hope.

The match in the capital Yaounde was settled in a penalty shoot-out after the two sides were locked at 0-0 after extra time. Senegal won the shoot-out 4-2, with Liverpool forward Sadio Mane scoring the winner to make amends for his miss from the spot early in the first half.

For the Pharaohs, led by Mane’s Liverpool teammate Mohamed Salah, a win would have secured a record-extending eighth title in Africa’s marquee tournament. They last won the trophy in 2010 and made it to the final in 2017 when they lost to Cameroon. South Africa eliminated them in 2019 in the last-16.

Currently Africa’s top-ranked side, Senegal had remarkably never won the coveted trophy until Sunday, having reached the final twice before, including a loss to Algeria in Cairo in 2019.

Egypt and Senegal are to meet again in March in a World Cup, qualifying play-off that will send the winner to Qatar later this year.

While Senegal wildly celebrated Sunday’s win, many of the Pharaohs cried, with television images of their grief-stricken faces deepening the sense of loss felt by the millions who watched at home, cafes and tea houses.

A bustling Nile-side city of more than 20 million, Cairo was left eerily quiet after the loss. That unusual atmosphere in a city with a reputation that it never sleeps contrasted with the buzz that had filled its streets since the Pharaohs defeated hosts Cameroon in Thursday’s semi-final.

Afcon final player ratings

SENEGAL RATINGS: Edouard Mendy 6 - Called into action against Salah late in first half but was caught in no man’s land with a cross in the second, fortunately seeing the ball headed wide. AFP

Bouna Sarr 7 - His pace attacking the right flank proved a problem for Egypt. The wing-back was unlucky with some of his crosses that weren’t converted. A poor penalty was saved too easily by Gabaski. AFP

Kalidou Koulibaly 8 - Used his experience to position smartly against counter-attacks, while commanding the Senegal backline who displayed impressive synergy. AP Photo

Abdou Diallo 8 - The Paris Saint-Germain centre-back used his pace to prevent Egypt attacks and he was quick to clear danger. Dominant in the air. AFP

Saliou Ciss 8 - Was a threat throughout with his pace causing havoc when overlapping Sadio Mane. The 32-year-old’s pace was too much for the Egyptian defence in the opening minutes, winning a penalty as he was taken down inside the box. AP Photo

Cheikhou Kouyate 6 - Made some good defensive plays but rarely involved in attack. Nampalys Mendy 6 - Rarely troubled in defensive areas as the Leicester City man made sure it was difficult to attack through the middle. AFP

Nampalys Mendy 6 - Rarely troubled in defensive areas as the Leicester City man made sure it was difficult to attack through the middle. AP Photo

Ismaila Sarr 7 - Unlucky not to pick up an assist with neat trickery on the right flank and two well delivered crosses, though he could have taken a little bit off the power to give Mane a chance at the backpost. AFP

Idrissa Gueye 7 - While the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was deployed further forward for Senegal, he often slipped back into his natural defensive habitat, breaking up a number of Egypt attacks. AFP

Sadio Mane 8 - Missed a penalty early-on, but dispatched a penalty in he shootout with the weight of his nation on his shoulders. AFP

Famara Diedhiou 6 - Found it difficult to trouble the defence while he was on and was eventually withdrawn by Senegal head coach Aliou Cisse. AFP

SUB: Pape Gueye (Kouyate 66) 6 - Confident on the ball and kept the play ticking over for Senegal, adding a layer of control to the midfield. AP Photo

SUB: Bamba Dieng (Diedhiou 77) - Had his first real chance in extra time but didn’t get the right contact with a defender pressuring him from behind. Unlucky with a swerving effort from range that forced a difficult save. AFP

SUB: Boulaye Dia (Sarr 77) - On for Sarr close to full time but didn’t get many touches. AFP

EGYPT RATINGS: Gabaski 9 - The Egypt goalkeeper has been one of the standout players of the tournament, and that was no different in Sunday’s final with a saved penalty against Sadio Mane. Gabaski looked sharp and was quick to get down to incoming shots, dealing with situations with confidence. EPA

Ahmed Fatouh 8 - Battled fearlessly throughout the entire 120 minutes with his intensity matching the occasion, and he was often the Egypt defender to clear the danger. Reuters

Mahmoud Hamdi 7 - Good interventions to stop a cross that looked like it was heading to a dangerous area. Kept Senegal’s attacking stars quiet. AFP

Mohamed Abdelmonem 7 - The centre-back produced some good pieces of defending throughout the game, and he made up for a lapse of concentration that conceded a penalty in the opening minutes. EPA

Emam Ashour 7 - A solid defensive game from the full-back who contributed going forward as well as being assured at the back. AFP

Amr Soleya 6 - Didn’t make as much impact as he would have liked going forward. Replaced just before the hour-mark. EPA

Hamdi Fathi 6 - Rarely gave away the ball and showed a good range of passing. AFP

Mohamed Elneny 6 - Kept things simple and positioned astutely to prevent attacks building up in central areas. Reuters

Omar Marmoush 5 - Simply not involved enough. The forward found it difficult to make space and had to keep a keen eye on Senegal’s wingbacks. AP Photo

Mostafa Mohamed 5 - A similar story to Marmoush, but Mostafa Mohamed did isolate Diallo and Koulibaly at times which allowed space for Mohamed Salah to try and work some magic. AFP

Mohamed Salah 7 - Drifted in and out of the game, but the Liverpool star did look dangerous when he had the ball, weaving in between defenders and getting a shot off towards goal whenever he could. AP Photo

SUB: Trezeguet (Soleya 59) 6 - The pacey winger is normally a problem for any team but he seemed to be countered out by a fast Senegal defensive line. Looked tired in extra time. Reuters

SUB: Zizo (Marmoush 59) 6 - Egypt seemed to lose the ball more often than not when Zizo had possession, though he did work hard to help out his defence. Scored his penalty in emphatic fashion. AFP

SUB: Marwan Hamdi (Mohamed 59) 6 - Had to do better with his header that was unchallenged, instead sending it wide of Mendy’s goal. AFP

SUB: Mohanad Lasheen (Fathi 99) - On for the final stage of extra time but missed the decisive penalty in the shootout. AP Photo

Anticipating a victory, street hawkers sold tens of thousands of Egyptian flags in the days before the final. New songs praising the Pharaohs were hurriedly composed and posted online. Pundits spoke endlessly about the Pharaohs’ chances on sports TV talk shows.

“You’ve done what you could and you won the respect of everyone. You have lived up to our expectations and honoured your nation.,” President Abdel Fattah El Sisi wrote on Facebook in a bid to lift the morale of the team and the nation.

“All of us are confident that you will make up for the loss of the title and make Egyptians happy by qualifying for the World Cup.”

His words are not empty rhetoric.

The Pharaohs made an astonishing comeback from their dismal showing in the group stage to send home some of the continent’s giants in the knockout stage, disposing of the Ivory Coast, Morocco and hosts Cameroon to reach the final.

Plagued by injuries and suspensions — including that of manager Carlos Queiroz who was banned from the dugout on Sunday — the Pharaohs played Senegal after three consecutive extra-time matches in the knockout stage, meaning they played 90 more minutes than their opponents, who also had an extra recovery day.

“The national squad did something no one in Egypt had expected,” said football analyst Hassan El Mistekawi. “Every player gave as much as he could both physically and tactically. Each one of them fought to make the fans happy.”

But the physical exertion of three, 120-minute matches, explained commentator Sabry Sirag, may have shown in Sunday’s clash against a better organised and physically tough Senegal whose journey to the final was much smoother.

“It was difficult for us to be physically ready after those three matches,” said Sirag “They were physically superior but our tactics were definitely better than theirs. Their side is packed with individual talent, but we as a team were better.”

But there’s a silver lining in the Pharaohs’ title-less run in Cameroon that could prove beneficial in the years to come. That’s the unlikely rise to stardom by several squad members who had lived in the shadow of more seasoned starters.

Egypt's goalkeeper Mohamed Abu Gabal affer the penalty shootout defeat to Senegal in the Afcon final. AP

Foremost among those was goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal — also known as Gabaski — who made his first appearance in the 24-nation tournament when Mohamed El Shennawy, arguably Africa’s best goalie, pulled a muscle in the last-16 match against the Ivory Coast and left.

Gabaski, 33, has pulled off a string of spectacular saves since, saving twice in the penalty shoot-out against Cameroon and once in Sunday’s shoot-out in addition to Mane’s penalty earlier in the match.

But his meteoric rise to stardom — he won the final’s Man of the Match Award — he could not conceal his grief or hold back tears after Sunday’s loss.

“The loss put us in a very difficult place,” a distraught Gabaski told the post-match news conference. “But we, as Egyptians, don’t know how to stay down when we fall.”