AFCON: Pharaoh’s Stun Ghana To Qualify As Group Winners, Mali Crashes Out
Egypt progressed to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals as Group winners after a 1-0 win over already qualified Ghana in Port Gentil, on Wednesday night.
Mohammed Salah’s superbly taken free kick in the 10th minute sent the Pharaoh’s top of Group D on seven points with Ghana finishing as runner up with six.
Egypt were awarded a free-kick after a clumsy challenge by John Boye on Abdallah El Said and Salah stepped up to hammer the ball through the wall and leave Ghana goalkeeper Razak Brimah with no chance.
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It was the third successive clean sheet for Egypt who are playing in the tournament in Gabon after a seven-year absence.
“Our goal was always to win the match, we never go into a match with the intention to draw,” Egypt coach Hector Cuper told reporters.
“I would have liked a better second half but we were playing a very strong opponent.”
The seven-times African champions will now play North African counterpart Morocco in the quarter-finals in Port Gentil on Sunday while Ghana travel to Oyem to face the Democratic Republic of Congo on the same day.
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In the other game of the day, Uganda broke their 39-year Afcon finals goal drought as Farouk Miya scored to hold Mali to a 1-1 draw in Oyem.
Miya opened the scoring with a rising shot into the top corner, while Mali, five-times semi-finalists, levelled proceedings when 20-year-old Yves Bissouma’s 30-yard free-kick flew into the net.
Uganda last played at the tournament in 1978.
