Veteran goalkeeper gets Egypt into final
A GRAND save by veteran goalkeeper Essam El Hadary of a Bertrand Traore spot-kick allowed Egypt to beat Burkina Faso 4-3 on penalties on Wednesday night to secure their place in the Africa Cup of Nations final.
El Hadary saved the last two kicks from Burkina Faso after a tense semifinal in Libreville had ended 1-1 after 90 minutes and extra time, with a superb 66th-minute opener by Mohamed Salah for the Egyptians quickly cancelled out by Aristide Bance for Burkina Faso.
That goal was the first conceded by El Hadary in 653 minutes at the Cup of Nations since 2010.
Egypt had squandered their opening shot and looked to be on their way out of the top African tournament.
Abdallah El Said missed Egypt’s first penalty in the shootout, but El Hadary kept the Pharaohs in it when he saved from opposing goalkeeper Herve Koffi, and the 44-year-old veteran then denied Traore from the last kick.
For Egypt, the record seventime champions of Africa, the win completes a remarkable journey all the way to the final, in their first appearance at the tournament after a seven-year absence. They will play either Cameroon or Ghana in Gabon’s capital on Sunday.
Egypt will look to reclaim a trophy they had won three times in a row between 2006 and 2010, before their fall from grace.
“They were better than us and had several chances that they didn’t take,” Egypt’s Argentine coach, Hector Cuper, said.
“We were tired and our wish was to go to penalties, because then anything can happen. We are delighted to be in the final.”
Burkina Faso enjoyed the better of the game 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 last-four tie, with a well organised defence complemented by the extraordinary El Hadary, comfortably the oldest player ever to appear at the Cup of Nations.
Without the injured and feisty 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.
Egypt’s defence was breached for the first time by Bance.