For the second time this year Egypt have been left broken-hearted by a penalty shootout against Senegal. But Mohamed Salah and company might reasonably ask how they could ever have hoped to win when they must surely have struggled to see the goal, let alone put the ball in it.
Having beaten Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations final in January, Senegal booked their place in 2022 World Cup in similar fashion on Tuesday. Sadio Mane netted the winning penalty as the Teranga Lions secured a comeback victory that propelled them to Qatar. Boulaye Dia had scrambled home an Idrissa Gueye free kick in the first half to draw the hosts level on aggregate in the tie, which Egypt had led through a Saliou Ciss own goal in the first leg, but from the fourth minute to the 120th there was to be no separating these sides.
That meant a penalty shootout in Diamniadio, one where Egypt might have felt they were excessively disadvantaged. Every spot kick that Pharoahs goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy faced saw several laser beams from the crowd shone in his face, though it should be noted that Senegal players were on the receiving end of similar treatment in last week's first leg. The scenes were perhaps even more pronounced when it was the turn of an Egyptian player to take a spot kick; Salah's face appeared to be bathed in green light before he skied his effort over during the shootout.
Each of the first four penalties were missed with El Shenawy saving in remarkable fashion from Ciss, diving to his right to push the effort to safety. Ismaila Sarr would ultimately open the scoring in the shootout with the fifth effort. From then on Senegal would not miss whilst Edouard Mendy stayed in position to parry Mostafa Mohamed's effort down the middle of the goal. Mane would then win the night from the spot, sending his country to their second successive World Cup.
That may ultimately have been a fair reflection of a second leg in which Senegal had the bulk of the chances but the manner of their exit amid a storm of crowd interference will leave Egypt far from impressed.
Senegal will be joined at the tournament by Ghana, who drew 1-1 in Nigeria to advance past their great rival on away goals. Thomas Partey netted the game's opener for the visitors, who were pegged back by a William Troost Ekong penalty before Victor Osimhen was denied what could have been the winner for the Super Eagles.
Cameroon qualify on unbelievable, dramatic winner
The lasers might not have been the wildest thing seen in African soccer on Tuesday. Cameroon beat Algeria 1-0 in regulation, forcing extra time in the second leg, and that's where things went bonkers. A header goal from Algeria's Ahmed Touba in the 118th minute looked set to cement the team's spot at the World Cup, but Cameroon did not lose hope. Karl Ekambi put home a last-second, desperation effort, finishing inside the box to win the match 2-1 and send the Indomitable Lions to Qatar.
The rest of Africa
- Tunisia qualified after their home draw to Mali 0-0, advancing 1-0 on aggregate
- Morocco qualified after their home win over DR Congo 4-1, advancing 5-2 on aggregate.
- Ghana earned a 1-1 draw at Nigeria to qualify 1-1 on aggregate thanks to an away goal.
FAQs
Senegal beat Egypt in a penalty shootout after dominating a thrilling, end-to-end match on Tuesday to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.
What country lost to Senegal in the World Cup? ›
Qatar lost 3-1 to Senegal for its second straight defeat at the World Cup and its exit was confirmed a few hours later, when Netherlands and Ecuador drew 1-1 in the other Group A game.
Has Egypt ever won a World Cup game? ›
Egypt have qualified for the FIFA World Cup on three occasions, in 1934, 1990 and 2018. With 2 draws and 5 losses, Egypt has never won a match in the World Cup finals.
Did Egypt qualify for the World Cup 2022? ›
The Pharaohs missed the 2022 edition after losing to Senegal on penalties in the Play-offs. Coach Rui Vitoria, who promised during his unveiling news conference that he would do his best to help the Pharaohs reach the World Cup, said, "Normally I do not like to make promises.
What country has never won a game in the World Cup? ›
Canada, which played in its first World Cup since 1986, is just one of 15 countries to participate in a FIFA World Cup but never come away with a single-game victory.
Has any African country won the World Cup? ›
Trailing to Mexico in their opener, goals from unlikely sources – centre-back Ali Kaabi, defensive midfielder Nejib Ghommidh and right-back Mokhtar Dhouieb – snatched Tunisia a 3-1 success and Africa's first-ever World Cup victory.
What is the nickname of Senegal? ›
Nicknames
| Team | Nickname | English translation |
|---|
| Rwanda | Amavubi | The Wasps |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Os Verde-Amarelos | The Green-Yellows |
| Senegal | Les Lions de la Téranga | The Lions of Teranga |
| Seychelles | The Seychelles Pirates |
62 more rowsSenegal have qualified for the World Cup on three occasions, in 2002 where they reached the quarter-finals, 2018 and in 2022.
Has Senegal ever won a World Cup? ›
Senegal has participated at the World Cup three times, 2002, 2018 and 2022. In their first appearance at the World Cup in 2002, Senegal reached the quarter-finals, their best result so far.
What is the nickname of the Egypt? ›
Egypt, often referred to as "The Land of Ra," earned this nickname due to the prominent and enduring role that the ancient Egyptian sun god Ra played in the religious and cultural life of the country.
The Egypt national football team (Egyptian Arabic: منتخب مصر لكرة القدم), nicknamed "Pharaohs" (Egyptian Arabic: الفراعنة), represents Egypt in men's international football, and is governed by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA), the governing body of football in Egypt.
How many African cups has Egypt won? ›
The Africa Cup of Nations, or AFCON, the most prestigious football tournament on the continent, is played by the national teams of participating countries roughly every two years. Egypt has won the final match seven times—chalking wins in consecutive tournaments in 1957 and 1959 and then again in 2006, 2008, and 2010.
Why can't Italy play in the World Cup? ›
HOW DID THE WORLD CUP PLAYOFFS UNFOLD FOR ITALY? * Italy were on course to meet Portugal in the deciding playoff tie, but they missed out on the World Cup finals after losing 1-0 at home to North Macedonia thanks to Aleksandar Trajkovski's last-gasp strike.
Why doesn't Italy play the World Cup? ›
Italy failed to make it to the FIFA World Cup for the second time in a row after a shock loss to North Macedonia in the playoff semifinal. The three-time World Cup winner, which – until 2014 – had last missed out on the tournament in 1958, saw its nightmare come true by missing two consecutive world cups.
Why did Egypt not go to the World Cup? ›
With a World Cup taking place in the Middle East, Mohamed Salah leading the team and a big expat population in Qatar, Egypt would have been relishing their chances of qualifying for the 2022 event. However, their biggest star Salah missed his penalty along with two others when Egypt drew against Senegal in the playoff.
Did Egypt qualify for the 2026 World Cup? ›
It was Egypt's first match in Africa qualifying for the expanded 2026 World Cup. The seven-time African Cup champions failed to qualify for last year's World Cup in Qatar after playing at the 2018 tournament in Russia.
Did Egypt qualify for the round of 16? ›
Egypt qualified for the round of 16 at the Africa Cup of Nations following a 2-2 draw with Cape Verde in their final game in Group B. Gilson Tavares put Cape Verde 1-0 up late in the first half before substitute Mahmoud Trezeguet equalized for Egypt on 50 minutes.
Who knocked Egypt out of AFCON? ›
Congo knocked Egypt out of the AFCON with an 8-7 win on penalties after the teams finished 1-1 after extra time on Sunday, January 28.
How many African teams will qualify for the World Cup 2026? ›
A record nine teams will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, and 10 is a possibility as the 54 nations of CAF begin their battle for places in the North American-based tournament.
