July 05, (THEWILL) – Egypt’s Under-23 national team emerged victorious in the first semi-final of the CAF TotalEnergies U23 Africa Cup of Nations, defeating Guinea by a lone goal.
The Young Pharaohs maintained their hopes of retaining the championship and confirmed their spot in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. The winning goal came in the first half, courtesy of midfielder Mohamed Shehata Mahmoud’s exceptional strike. Although Guinea were the more dominant side in terms of possession, Egypt’s solid defense, led by captain Ibrahim Adel, prevented any major breakthroughs.
Guinea’s early opportunity to take the lead was thwarted by Egyptian goalkeeper Hamza Alaa’s deflection of Ousmane Camara’s shot before Egypt struck when captain Ibrahim Adel intercepted the ball and found Mohamed Shehata Mahmoud on the edge of the box, leading to a powerful strike that gave Egypt the 1-0 advantage.
To their credit, Guinea relentlessly launched offensive assaults, but their efforts, including Algassime Bah’s free-kick and Aguibou Camara’s charge, failed to find the back of the net. At halftime, Guinea’s dominance in possession indicated that Egypt’s place in the final and their qualification for the Olympic Games were not yet certain.
In the second half, Guinea continued their attacking endeavours. Fodé Camara’s powerful strike from distance was saved by Alaa in the 57th minute. Their efforts nonetheless, Guinea’s hopes were dampened when they committed several mistakes in the 70th minute. Egypt appeared to have doubled their lead through Hossam Abdelmaguid’s header from a free-kick, but the goal was struck off due to an offside call. As the match neared its conclusion, Guinea’s fate hung in the balance as Egypt resorted to time-wasting tactics.
In the 88th minute, Salifou Soumah’s impressive strike was once again denied by the exceptional goalkeeping of Egypt’s Alaa. Even with an additional seven minutes of play at the end of regulation time, the score remained unchanged, ensuring Egypt’s place in the final and their qualification for the Paris Olympic Games.
About the Author
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.
