The most decorated Champions of Africa at the African Cup of Nations, the Pharaohs of Egypt who were seven times African Champions and who have been tagged DRAW SPECIALISTS in Ivory Coast were sent out of the tournament 8-7 on penalties after 1-1 at full time by the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The San Pedro Stadium was full of tension in the moments of regular time as both teams contested the ball man to man only for the DR Congo not to finish off the Egyptians because they lack finishing.

Mausuaku missed his penalty for Congo after Mostafa Mohammed surprisingly lost his kick but it was the miss of the Egyptian Goalkeeper, Mohammed Abu known as Gabaski that sent Egypt out  and the kick of Lionel Mpasi the goalkeeper of Congo who resisted Egypt during regular play sent Congo to the quarterfinals. 

Cover Photo courtesy of BBC is Congolese Goalkeeper being carried high by his colleagues. I report that Egyptian star, Mohammed Salah watched the match on television in London where he is taking treatment for his injury sustained in Ivory Coast.

The Egypt versus DR Congo match is the first in the tournament to run into extra time and into penalty kicks extending to sudden death in penalty kicks.

Yong Boys of Switzerland player Meschack Elia opened scoring for the night for DR Congo in the 37th minute but DR Congo central defender, Batubinsika conceded a penalty foul which the VAR awarded to Egypt and Mostafa Mohammed stepped forward for the equalizer in the 45+1 minute. 

Mostafa of Nantes of France scored in every match he played as he got a goal each against Cape Verde; Ghana and Mozambique in the group games.

Then sign of a black night started coming for Egypt when Hamdy Sharaf bagged the red card in the 90+7 minute which was a result of his second yellow in the match.

The loss by Egypt leaves only Morocco and Mauritania as the two Northern teams remaining giving a pointer that the cup which Senegal is defending champions may not return to the north of Africa.  

Guinea will stay back at the Outtara stadium on Friday 2nd February at 9pm to meet the winner of the DR Congo at 9pm in the quarterfinal. That will be after the Nigeria versus Angola quarterfinal at 6pm. 

Egypt met DR Congo on 26th June 2019 at Cairo International Stadium in a Group A encounter where Elmohamady scored 25th minute and Mo Salah in the 43rd minute. On 3rd February 2006 Egypt won 4-1 in an AFCON match; in the two world cup qualifiers played in 2008, Egypt won at home 2-1 on 1st June and on 7th September DR Congo lost to Egypt at home by a lone goal,

Egypt emerged second from Group B with 3 points scoring 6 goals and conceding 6. She played 2-2 with Mozambique; played another 2-2 with Ghana and yet another 2-2 with Cape Verde which led the group. Ghana and Mozambique were sent home.

DR Congo also placed second in group F making 3 points after Morocco scoring 2 goals and conceding 2 goals. She played 1-1 with Zambia; played another 1-1 with Morocco and a goalless draw with Tanzania. So Zambia and Tanzania were sent home.

Egypt and Morocco met twice in Knockout rounds each winning once. DR Congo won 3-2 in the semifinal in 1974 and Egypt won 4-1 in quarterfinal in 2016. The amazing thing is that each team lifted the trophy each year they won in their encounters.

Four of the last seven AFCON knockout matches went into penalties (3 wins, one defeat). They failed to score in the other last five Knockout games except 2-1 win over Morocco in the 2021 quarterfinal.

Egypt ranked 33rd in the world is making her 26th appearance and is the most decorated country in African football. They are seven times champions, a feat far away for achievement from any other country on the continent. The country won the maiden cup in 1957 in Sudan when four teams were playing the tournament and defeated Ethiopia 4-0 in the finals; in 1974 Egypt came back with a Bronze while hosting and defeated Democratic Republic of Congo 4-0; In 1976 at Ethiopia Nigeria pushed Egypt to the 4th position 3-2; Egypt again was left stranded in the 4th position in Lagos with the 4th position as Morocco made it 2-0; and the 4th position in a row was completed in Ivory Coast in 1984 as Algeria beat the Pharaohs 3-1.

In 1986 Egypt hosted and won after penalties of 5-4 ended the 0-0 full time scores against Cameroon; In 1988 at Burkina Faso Egypt got their 3rd win lifting the trophy with 2-0 win over South Africa; Egypt came again in 2006 as host to win a clean slate match against Ivory Coast 4-2 penalties after 0-0 at full time; The Lions of Cameroon were caged for Egypt to win again at the Ghana finals in 2008 by a lone goal; their last win was at Angola in 2010 when Ghana bowed 0-1. Though Egypt hosted in 2019 they were not among the last four. At the last competition in Cameroon, Egypt painfully lost 4-2 on penalties to the Teranga Lions of Senegal after 0-0 full time.

The Leopards of Democratic Republic of Congo ranked 67th in the world made 19 appearances at AFCON winning twice in 1968 and 1974. That 1968 at Ethiopia, DRC then Zaire won her first title beating Ghana by a lone goal; 1974 at Egypt, there had to be a replay after 2-2 draw and the country that was Zaire that time beat the Kenneth Kaunda boys 2-0; Burkina Faso 98 saw DRC winning Bronze 4-1 on penalties after 4-4 at full time; the last time DRC climbed the podium was for Bronze at Equatorial Guinea in 2015 when the Leopards beat hosts 4-2 on penalties after a goalless full time.