August 02, (THEWILL) – Egypt reached the Olympic football tournament semi-finals for the first time in 60 years after defeating Paraguay on penalties at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Ibrahim Adel scoring a late equaliser for Egypt to cancel out Diego Gómez’s opener for Paraguay. The quarter-final match was tense, with few clear-cut chances in the first half.
Egypt’s Mahmoud Saber missed a one-on-one opportunity against Paraguay goalkeeper Roberto Fernández just after the 30-minute mark. Paraguay took the lead in the 71st minute when Julio Enciso set up Gómez, who finished expertly into the bottom corner.
Egypt fought back and equalised in the 88th minute through Adel’s header from Zizo’s cross. The match went to penalties after a goalless extra time. Egyptian goalkeeper, Hamza Alaa, saved Marcelo Pérez’s spot-kick, giving his team the advantage. Adel then converted the winning penalty to send Egypt through to the semi-finals.
The victory marks Egypt’s best Olympic football performance since 1964. They will face either France or Argentina in the semi-finals. The Pharaohs had impressed earlier in the tournament by topping a group that included Spain.
This Olympic success comes as a significant boost for Egyptian football. The team showed determination and skill to overcome a tough Paraguay side, setting up an exciting semi-final clash against either one of football’s powerhouses.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.