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Record seven-time champions Egypt, without the injured Mohamed Salah, were eliminated from the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday following a penalty shootout loss of 8-7 against DR Congo.
The decisive moment came when goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi converted the winning penalty in San-Pedro after his counterpart Mohamed Abou Gabal’s kick struck the bar and flew over.
The intense last-16 clash concluded 1-1 after extra time, with Meschack Elia scoring for DR Congo in the 37th minute and Mostafa Mohamed equalizing from a penalty just before halftime.
Liverpool star Salah, who was injured in a group match against Ghana, had returned to his club, indicating a possible return only if Egypt reached the final.
DR Congo will now face Guinea, who secured a last-minute 1-0 victory over Equatorial Guinea earlier on Sunday, in Abidjan next Friday for a spot in the semi-finals.
Despite Egypt and DR Congo having won a combined nine Africa Cup of Nations titles, neither country managed a victory in the group stage this month, finishing as runners-up to Cape Verde and Morocco, respectively.
In the closely contested knockout match, DR Congo controversially took the lead with a goal from Elia, while Egypt equalized with a penalty from Mohamed, who continued his goal-scoring form in the tournament.
The second half saw DR Congo gaining more possession, but clear-cut chances for both sides were limited, with strong defensive performances from Egypt’s Ahmed Hegazy and DR Congo’s Chancel Mbemba.
Even with a man advantage after Mohamed Hamdy was sent off, DR Congo couldn’t find a winning goal during extra time, leading to the penalty shootout that saw Mpasi’s decisive conversion.
