Egypt have lost to Senegal on penalties in the final playoff round of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers to gift the African champions their ticket to Qatar.
Egypt were going into the game having won the first leg 1-0 at home. They needed to keep a clean sheet, win, or lose by just one goal with a score superior to 2-1.
The Pharaohs had to start the game without their two starting centre backs Mohamed Abdelmonem and El-Wensh who were ruled-out of the game.
Queiroz also opeted to start with Omar Marmoush instead of Mostafa Mohamed in the striker position.
Egypt XI: Mohamed El-Shenawy, Omar Gaber, Yasser Ibrahim, Rami Rabia, Ahmed Fetouh, Hamdi Fathi, Mohamed Elneny, Amr El-Sulya, Mohamed Salah, Omar Marmoush, Mahmoud Trezeguet.
Senegal XI: Edouard Mendy, Saliou Ciss, Abdou Diallo, Kalidou Koulibaly, Bouna Sarr, Idrissa Gueye, Nampalys Mendy, Cheikhou Kouyaté, Sadio Mane, Famara Diedhiou, Ismaila Sarr.
The hosts started the game on the right foot taking advantage of a defensive mistake to score the goal through Boulaye Dia after a scramble in the Egypt box.
Mohamed Elneny attempted to answer with a shot of his own in the14th minute but his long ranger went wide.
Egypt then had to make two early substitutions with Omar Gaber and Ramia Rabia coming off with injuries for Ayman Ashraf and Emam Ashour.
Watford’s Ismaila Sarr took a long range shot of his own in the 27th minute but El-Shennawy was there to save it.
Sarr had the last chance of the half in the 32nd minute with weak shot shot from just outside the six-yard but El-Shennawy was there to catch it.
Queiroz decided to bring on fresh legs early on in the second-half by subbing on Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Mostafa Mohamed and Dunga for Elneny, Trezeguet and Omar Marmoush.
Zizo almost had an instant impact as he nearly converted Salah’s cross into a goal but his header went wide.
Five minutes later, the Zamalek forward nearly opened the scoring once again after brilliantly dribbling past two Senegal defenders. However, his shot side net
Moments before the final whistle, Mane played a great through ball to Sarr but the latter’s shot went wide.
Just one minute into the first extra time-half Sarr was once again the main threat this time with a header, El-Shennawy made a great save.
Mane then played a pinpoint pass to Pape Matar Cisse who was all alone in front if goal but El-Shennawy miraculously pushed it off the line.
El-Shennawy then made a brilliant double save in the 95th minute to prevent Senegal from taking the lead.
The game was eventually sent to penalties after it ended 1-0 for Senegal and 1-1 on aggregate.
Surprisingly both teams missed their first two penalties, with Egypt’s most experienced penalty takers Salah and Zizo missing their attempts.
Sarr stepped up to take the third and manage to score, with Amr El-Sulya also scoring his attempt. Bamba Diang then scored his country’s fourth attempt, but Mostafa Mohamed was unable to convert his shot. Liverpool star Sadio Mane scored the final penalty, sending the Teranga Lions to the 2022 World Cup.
Source: Kingfut.com
