Egypt won the African Cup of Nations for the third time in a row on Sunday after substitute Mohamed Gedo scored in the 85th minute to earn a 1-0 victory over Ghana in the final.
Tournament debutant Gedo curled in a shot from within the area to give Egypt a record seventh title.
“From the first day we arrived we said we were here to win the tournament,” Egypt assistant coach Shawki Garib said. “And we did it, even if it was harder than in 2006 and 2008.”
PHOTO: AFP
No other team has won the biennial tournament three consecutive times.
Egypt, who haven’t played in a World Cup since 1990, will again miss the showcase tournament this summer. Unbeaten in 19 matches in the African Cup, they lost to Algeria in November in the playoffs for a World Cup place in South Africa.
“We play better during big tournaments than during our qualifying campaigns,” Garib said. “Over three weeks, it’s easier to develop team cohesion.”
Ghana, who had been hoping to earn their first continental crown since 1982, dominated for most of the match but failed to create clearcut chances.
Egypt played without suspended striker Mahmoud Fathallah, while Ghana were at full strength with goalkeeper Richard Kingson overcoming a minor hamstring injury to start.
Meeting in the final for the first time in 53 years, both teams made a cautious start, scrapping for possession in midfield and struggling to create chances.
Ghana’s Samuel Inkoom tried his luck with a free kick from 30m in the eighth minute, while Egypt captain Hamed Hassan fared no better with a long-range effort five minutes later that flew over the bar.
Fielding four members of the team that won the Under-20 World Cup last year, Ghana defended neatly and were able to move swiftly into the Egypt half. However, Ghana failed to really support their strikers.
Ghana had another chance in the 15th minute but Agyeman Badu’s shot from a free kick was deflected wide.
Andre Ayew then failed to take advantage of Egypt’s poor clearance in the 20th minute, fluffing his half-volley while unmarked in the box, moments before Kwadwo Asamoah fired a 30m drive directly into the hands of Essam El Hadary.
Hassan tried to latch onto a free kick with his hand four minutes before the interval but couldn’t catch the ball.
Asamoah Gyan, who scored Ghana’s winners against both Angola and Nigeria in the previous stages, went close in the 52nd minute with a perfectly curled free kick that was tipped over the bar by El Hadary.
Ghana maintained their domination as Ayew unleashed a low shot that ended just wide while Egypt players were forced to make fouls to contain their opponents’ speed.
Gyan was a threat again in the 74th minute when he missed the target following a quick counterattack before forcing El Hadary to palm the ball away on a free kick.
Egypt finally broke the deadlock against the run of the play when Gedo, the top striker of the tournament with five goals, was perfectly set up on the left side of the box after a nice one-two and scored with a curling shot past Kingson at the far post.
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
Aaliyah Edwards on Monday pulled off the stunner of the opening round of the Unrivaled one-on-one tournament, beating top-seeded Breanna Stewart 12-0. The tournament to be played over three days featured 23 of the WNBA’s 36 players. A few had other commitments and a couple others were out with injuries. Stewart got the ball first against Edwards and missed a contested layup. Edwards then hit a three-pointer from the corner and a jumper from the elbow to go up 5-0. The player who scores keeps the basketball. Edwards hit two layups and a three-pointer to seal the win. Stewart, a two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player,
SPEEDSKATER: Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s run at the Asian Winter Games without a medal since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990 Speedskater Chen Ying-chu yesterday made history as the first athlete representing Taiwan to secure a medal at the Asian Winter Games. Competing at the HIC Speedskating Oval in Harbin, China, Chen clocked 10.510 seconds in the women’s 100m event, finishing third behind South Koreans Lee Na-hyum and Kim Min-sun, who posted times of 10.501 and 10.505 seconds respectively. Her bronze medal ended Taiwan’s drought at the Asian Winter Games since the nation first participated in the second iteration in 1990. This year’s Games mark Chen’s debut at the event. Previously excelling in roller speedskating, she won six medals at world championships before transitioning
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38