In a thrilling penalty shootout, Egypt and DR Congo ended their match with a 1-1 draw. The goalkeeper, Lionel Mpasi, became the hero by scoring the decisive penalty, allowing his team to advance to the quarter-finals of the AFCON tournament.
DR Congo’s goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi and his teammates celebrated a stunning victory at the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2024 round of 16 match against Egypt. In a thrilling encounter that ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time, DR Congo emerged victorious in the penalty shootout, winning 8-7.
The match took place at the Stade Laurent Pokou in San Pedro on January 28, 2024. Egypt, a seven-time AFCON champion and the runners-up in 2021, suffered a shock defeat to the underdogs from DR Congo. The loss resulted in Egypt’s elimination from the tournament.
The dramatic conclusion to the match saw Egypt’s goalkeeper Gabaski hit the crossbar with his penalty, while DR Congo’s Lionel Mpasi successfully converted his spot-kick, securing his country a place in the quarter-finals. DR Congo will face Guinea in their next match on Friday evening.
Egypt managed to equalize the match in added time of the first half through a penalty scored by Mostafa Mohamed. The penalty was awarded after Ahmed Hegazi was fouled in the air by Dylan Batubinsika. Prior to that, Meschack Elia had given DR Congo the lead with a header in the 37th minute.
Both teams fought hard throughout the match, with Egypt missing the presence of their injured star striker Mohamed Salah. Egypt’s chances were further diminished when Mohamed Hamdy received a second yellow card in the 97th minute and was sent off for a late foul.
Remarkably, DR Congo, ranked 67th in the world, reached the quarter-finals without winning a match in regulation time at the tournament. They had drawn all three of their group games. On the other hand, Egypt will be disappointed with their early exit from the competition.
In another match on Sunday, Guinea secured their place in the quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea.
The man of the match was Ahmed Hegazi from Egypt. The national team captain put in a commanding defensive performance and also scored in the decisive penalty shootout.
Here are the player ratings for both teams:
Egypt:
– Gabaski 6
– Hany 6
– Abdelmonem 6
– Hegazi 8
– Fatouh 6
– Elneny 6
– Fathy 6
– Attia 6
– Zizo 7
– Mohamed 6
– Trezeguet 6
Subs:
– Kamal 6
– Hamdy 5
– Lasheen 6
– Hamada 6
– Fathi 6
– Marmoush 6
DR Congo:
– Mpasi 7
– Kalulu 7
– Mbemba 6
– Batubinsika 6
– Masuaku 7
– Pickel 6
– Moutoussamy 6
– Bongonda 7
– Elia 7
– Bakambu 7
– Wissa 7
Subs:
– Tshibola 6
– Diangana 6
– Katompa Mvumpa 6
– Siadi 6
– Banza 6
In the match highlights:
– In the 37th minute, Meschack Elia scored a quick-thinking goal for DR Congo, heading in a cross from Wissa.
– Just before halftime, Mostafa Mohamed equalized for Egypt from the penalty spot, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.
– In the 97th minute, Egypt’s Mohamed Hamdy received a second yellow card and was sent off.
– In the penalty shootout, Mostafa Mohamed missed his penalty for Egypt, while Arthur Masuaku missed for DR Congo.
– DR Congo emerged as the winners of the shootout, with goalkeeper Gabaski hitting the bar for Egypt and Lionel Mpasi converting the winning kick.
This shocking result sees DR Congo progress to the quarter-finals, where they will face Guinea on Friday. Egypt, without their star player Mo Salah, will be heading home with disappointment.