Age no obstacle for El-Hadary
Veteran 44-year-old goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary blocked Bertrand Traore’s spot-kick to allow Egypt to beat Burkina Faso 4-3 on penalties on Wednesday as it secured its place in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
A tense semifinal in Libreville ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time, with Roma star Mohamed Salah’s superb 66th-minute opener for the Egyptians quickly canceled out by Aristide Bance for Burkina Faso.
That goal was the first conceded by El-Hadary — the oldest player in Cup of Nations history — in 653 minutes at the tournament going back to 2010.
Abdallah El Said missed Egypt’s first penalty in the shootout, but El-Hadary kept the Pharaohs in it when he stopped a shot by opposing goalkeeper Herve Koffi before denying Traore on the last kick.
For Egypt, the record seven-time champion of Africa, the win completed a remarkable journey all the way to the final in its first appearance at the tournament after a sevenyear absence.
Unbeaten in 24 games in the competition, it will play Cameroon or Ghana in Gabon’s capital on Sunday as it looks to reclaim a trophy it won three times in five years between 2006 and 2010 before its fall from grace.
Cameroon and Ghana meet in Franceville in the second semifinal on Thursday.
“They were better than us and had several chances that they didn’t take,” said Egypt’s Argentine coach Hector Cuper.
“We were very tired and our wish was to go to penalties because then anything can happen. We are delighted to be in the final.”
Burkina Faso, which was hoping to repeat its run to the final in 2013, will instead go to Port-Gentil for the thirdplace playoff on Saturday.
“Looking at the match — not the penalties because Egypt won those thanks to a goalkeeper with enormous experience — if one team had to win it was us,” said coach Paulo Duarte.
At Stade de l’Amitie, whichwas once again a long way from full, Burkina Faso enjoyed the better of the match for long spells but came up against an Egypt side transformed under Cuper.
The Pharaohs had not conceded a goal at this Cup of Nations coming into this lastfour tie, with a well organized defense complemented by the extraordinary El-Hadary, who broke the record for the oldest ever player at the competition in Egypt’s first group game.
Without injured Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny, Egypt handed a start to Mahmoud Kahraba, who had come on to get the winner in the quarterfinal against Morocco, while Bance came into the Burkina Faso starting lineup.