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Goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi scored the 18th penalty in a harrowing penalty shootout as the Democratic Republic of Congo pulled off the ultimate upset of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations by eliminating seven-time champions Egypt and reaching the quarterfinals after a 1-1 draw in stoppage time.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo took the lead for the first time in the final when Meschack Elia headed in a Yoane Wissa cross, putting the 67th-ranked team in the world on course for a disappointing final result in a tournament that was brightened by the good fortune of the losers in Ivory Coast.
Their lead lasted nine minutes before Mostafa Mohamed converted a penalty just before half-time after Ahmed Hegazi clipped Dylan Batubinsika’s arm.
Egypt finished with 10 men after left-back Mohamed Hamdy showed a second yellow card seven minutes into extra time for an ill-timed charge on Simon Banza.
And after Pharaons goalkeeper Gabaski hit the top of the crossbar in the ninth round of penalties, Mpasi stepped up to win 8-7 on penalties.
In the absence of injured captain Mohamed Salah, Rui Vitoria’s team finished the tournament with a win and suffered the same fate as in the 2021 final, when they were beaten by the consequences against Senegal.
Salah’s Afcon dream comes to an end as DRC moves forward: pay attention to World Football at Afcon podcast
An unmarked Hegazi headed an early first-half chance over from seven yards out and substitute Mahmoud Hamada lost his footing from a presentable opportunity late in normal time, but the Leopards were worthy winners and could have gone ahead sooner had the lively Elia not lashed an effort over in the third minute.
The shoot-out saw both sides miss from their second attempts, with Mohamed side-footing wide of the right-hand upright and Arthur Masuaku immediately scooping the ball over the crossbar for the Central Africans.
But Mpasi kept his composure to slot into the top right-hand corner against Gabaski, who had been a penalty-saving specialist in Egypt’s run to the final in Cameroon two years ago.
The Democratic Republic of Congo will face Guinea in the quarter-finals at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium in Abidjan on Friday (20:00 GMT) after Syli National beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 on Sunday.
While a round of 16 meeting between two organizations that have drawn all 3 of their organization’s games is unusual, it is less unexpected when the game ended in a tie after 90 minutes.
The move that broke the impasse 8 minutes before the break began with a quick reflex from Masuaku, releasing Wissa down the left with a throw-in that allowed the Brentford striker to enter the penalty area and cut out a deflected cross in Elia’s path. to get in line.
Egypt lost one of the final’s early stars, Emam Ashour, to a concussion, while goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, who suffered a dislocated shoulder in his last match at the organizational level, was replaced by Gabaski.
The North Africans may have been lacking the talismanic Salah in attack, but Mohamed initially proved his reliability again from the spot to equalise with his fourth goal of the finals.
Hegazi had collapsed after Batubinsika’s aerial attack, prompting South African referee Abongile Tom to caution the discouraged centre-back for a missing arm following a VAR review and a monitor on his pitch monitor.
Chances were few and far between in the second half, but Cedric Bakambu got ahead of Hegazi to receive a good-looking cross from Elia after the winger broke loose on the right but stabbed his first goal just short of the post.
Chancel Mbemba headed Masuaku’s cross over the goal, and the Leopards Mpasi reacted intelligently when Hamdi Fathi’s clever shot allowed Zizo to unleash a fierce shot from a tight angle.
But Hamada had the goal when Zizo placed it at the far post shortly after his late entry, only to lose his balance when a cross dribbled behind him and cleared for the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With penalties looming, Egypt had more defending to do once Hamdy had been dismissed for a foul which left Banza clutching an ankle in pain.
Hamdy became the first Egyptian player to receive a red card at the Africa Cup of Nations since Medhat Abdel Hadi in 1998 against Morocco.
West Brom midfielder Grady Diangana narrowly failed to connect as the ball bounced tantalisingly across Egypt’s six-yard box, prefacing a finale in which the more established contenders seemed understandably content to play for time rather than attack with intent.
Mpasi appeared to watch instructive footage of Egypt’s potential penalty attempts as the teams piled up ahead of the final act, but Gabaski would likely have remembered the four results in three penalty shootouts he avoided in the 2021 final, as well as those of Sadio Mane. effort in the first half in the last.
In fact, the attacking player in this case could only hit the crossbar when he was called upon to take one himself, the result of a series of shots that didn’t give either goalkeeper much chance of becoming a hero.