Egypt retained their Africa Cup of Nations crown on Sunday when Mohamed Aboutraika scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Cameroon which also delivered a record sixth title.
The defending champions ensured they held on to the trophy when, after a slick passing movement, Aboutraika struck in the 77th minute for a deserved success.
The result was the Pharoahs' final act in a hugely impressive campaign that saw them build on the defeat of Cameroon in their opening group game to record victories over Sudan, Tunisia and then Ivory Coast in the semi-finals.
Egypt were adding the trophy to their wins in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998 and 2006, with coach Hassan Shehata becoming only the second coach to win back-to-back titles.
Cameroon were without their suspended defender Andre Bikey, but Alexandre Song, stretchered off in the semi-final win over Ghana, was on the pitch.
However, the Arsenal defender only lasted a quarter of an hour, limping off dejectedly with Benfica's Gilles Binya taking his place.
Before Song's exit, Egypt's Hosny Abd Rabou had hit a 30m free kick which flew over the Cameroon defense before goalkeeper Carlos Kameni had to look sharp to deny Emad Moteab's angled shot.
Egypt skipper Ahmed Hassan then did well to stick his foot out to deflect Joel Epaule's effort.
Pharoahs' keeper Essam al-Hadary, man of the match against Ivory Coast, was up to the job of denying a 30m freekick special from Geremi before Kameni produced an acrobatic dive to keep out Moteab's dangerous strike.
Eto'o, the competition's all time top scorer, had the Egyptians scampering around on the hour mark with a lightning run down the left.
Cameroon coach Otto Pfister then introduced striker Mohamadou Idrissou for a midfielder, Achille Emana, as he sought the keys to unlock the Egyptians, with Shehata swapping Moteab for Hamburg striker Mohamed Zidan.
Zidan scored twice in Egypt's win over Cameroon earlier in the tournament and he was instrumental in putting them into a 77nd minute lead.
He robbed the tiring Rigobert Song and his slide rule pass from the left found Aboutraika who calmly struck low past Kameni.
That was the Al Ahly midfielder's fourth goal and it set up a fraught final quarter of an hour as Cameroon frantically tried to get back into the match, but the defending champions held on to take the continental cup back to Cairo.
In the Egyptian capital, the victory brought joy and relief.
"Finally something joyous happens to us," said Mohammed Said, sporting an Egyptian flag instead of his traditional galabaya robe. "With the government we have everything is sad, the prices, the boats sink and trains crash, this is the only thing that gives us joy."
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
RSS