Gabaski, who had come in after Egypt’s first-choice keeper Mohamed El Shenawy was injured in the round of 16 win against Ivory Coast, provided the heroics to seal Egypt's spot in the final.
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Egypt defeated tournament hosts Cameroon 3-1 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes in Olembe on Thursday to go through to the final of 2022 Africa Cup of Nations. Mohamed Salah’s Egypt will meet Sadio Mane’s Senegal in the title-decider on Sunday. Cameroon had dominated the first half and Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui hitting the woodwork was the pick of the chances. As the game progressed, Egypt took control of the proceedings. However, despite a number of close efforts neither side could find the back of the net in 120 minutes of action.
?? ????????? ?? #TeamEgypt secure a place in the #TotalEnergiesAFCON final for the ?th time! ?
The Pharaohs’ second final in the last 3️⃣ editions! ?#TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 | #AFCON2021 | @EFA pic.twitter.com/PECkb8NoXx
— #TotalEnergiesAFCON2021 ? (@CAF_Online) February 3, 2022
This was a meeting between two most successful nations in the competitions history with record seven-time winners up against Cameroon. The hosts had triumphed on five occasions with the last of those coming in 2017 when they defeated Thursday’s opponents 2-1 in the final, but Egypt gained revenge on this occasion.
Cameroon was denied by the post on two occasions in 90 minutes, first through Ngadeu-Ngadjui’s looping header and then Samuel Gouet’s powerful long-range effort flicked the woodwork. Meanwhile Egypt’s talisman Salah was kept quiet for much of the game. The Liverpool striker’s first real threat on goal was a curling effort from outside the box, which went narrowly over the crossbar.
Salah had another chance in the second half when he latched onto a poor back pass and went through on goal but was denied by the goalkeeper Andre Onana, who came flying out of his area. Karl Toko Ekambi’s glancing header went straight to Gabaski, while Gouet’s powerful strike narrowly missed the target.
In the extra-time, Middlesbrough midfielder Lea Siliki’s free-kick from out wide landed on the roof of the net and the game went to penalties. Gabaski, who had come in after Egypt’s first-choice keeper Mohamed El Shenawy was injured in the round of 16 win against Ivory Coast, provided the heroics to seal Egypt’s spot in the final.
Egypt had already been preparing for penalties just before, replacing Mohamed Sherif with Zizo after the striker had only been on the field for 13 minutes. The change paid off as he scored the Pharaoh’s first penalty.
Aboubakar had sent the hosts ahead when he scored the opening penalty-kick of the shoot-out, but it proved to be the only spot-kick Cameroon converted. Moukoudi and James Lea Siliki both had their efforts saved by Gabaski, before N’Jie lashed his penalty wide to send Egypt into Sunday’s final.
