Egypt 2–0 Algeria: Pharaohs Force Playoff Versus Fennecs In Cairo Thriller

The Pharoahs left it late but were able to do what was necessary to live to fight another day against the visiting Fennecs in a stunning encounter that will go down in history.

Nov 14, 2009 7:52:39 PM

More On :  Algeria, Egypt, Egypt vs Algeria
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The heated and long anticipated match to determine Africa’s final representative at next summer’s World Cup got underway with Egypt spurred on by massive support in the Cairo international stadium and their players responded by being more determined and better in possession from the kick off.

Lightining struck in the 2nd minute when a free kick volleyed onto Lounes Gaouaoui who parried the shot which was followed by Mohamed Aboutrika striking the rebound onto the post.

The ensuing attempt ended with the ball falling at Amr Zaki’s feet and the powerful forward ensured that Egypt would begin the match in the best possible way by scoring from point blank range.

The early goal unsettled the Algerians who were struggling to find each other on the pitch with inaccurate passes. Another great chance fell to the Egyptians in the 10th minute but Gaouaoui this time was able to stop the attempt.

Algeria’s first chance came shortly thereafter when Ahmed Hassan brought down Karim Ziani near the corner flag but Egyptian stopper Issam El Hadary cleared the cross that came from the set piece and Yazid Mansouri could not get his shot on target when the ball came his way just outside the box.

As expected, the match was a high tempo affair with Egypt pushing the envelope and Algeria doing their absolute best to remain firm and cause problems of their own when they got possession.

The Fennecs were at their best off set pieces, which has been one of their major weapons during these qualifiers, and Ziani’s almost used one to find Rafik Halliche in the box got his header on target but found El Hadary instead of the back of the net in the 19th minute.

The frenetic pace continued thereafter with both sides exchanging attacks but neither being able to get clear cut chances on goal despite good ball movement on both sides.



In the 34th minute Karim Matmour had a shot from distance deviated into a corner kick after some good interplay between him and Mourad Meghni but nothing came of the cross that followed.

Egypt responded with their own bit of pressure but Aboutrika’s cross was just a bit too tall for Mohamed Homos who could only deviate it slightly but not towards goal.

The Pharaohs then forced two corner kicks that they were unable to take advantage of yet it was the Algerians who got the final chance of the period and El Hadary was called upon again in stoppage time to save Antar Yahia’s weak strike despite his good positioning.

Rabah Saadane brought on Yassine Bezzaz in place of Matmour to begin that second period with more attacking effectiveness and help the isolated Rafik Saifi whie Hassen Shehata kept to the same lineup.

Egypt took hold of the ball once more like they had the outset of the match and controlled the midfield but their attack was lacking the incisiveness necessary to trouble the well placed Fennecs who were doing well to steal the ball whenever it neared their backline.

In the 55th minute Mohamed Barakat came on for Homos but it was Saifi who was released clear on goal and came very close to lobbing the Egyptian goalkeeper who cleared the ball into a corner kick. Meghni then put on a great solo piece of skill to evade two Egyptian players but was brought down as he was breaking free.

The moment seemed to revitalize the Greens who finally began showing their technical skill and Ziani  found Bezzaz in the side of the box in the 62nd minute who fed Saifi who was once more unable to hit the target.

The Al Khor forward was injured on the play and Saadane quickly brought on Siena’s Abdelkader Ghezzal to replace him. Shehata then made one of his own changes by taking off Amr Zaki in favor of Emad Metaab.

Entering the final twenty minutes, the Egyptians began pushing everything forward to get the goal that would force a one match playoff and the visitors were bending but not breaking. Anthar Yahia had to be taken out when an injury he aggravated an injury he sustained with his club.

The last quarter of an hour was a tense affair for both sides fighting for their World Cup lives and the most notable missed opportunity for the locals being one where Gaouaoui stopped a header on goal from a dangerous in swinging corner.

Algerians dug deep into their own side with eleven men but the moment the entire nation of Egypt had been waiting for came in the 95th minute off an Emad Metaab header to force rubber match which will be played in Sudan on November 18th.

Things could have been even worse for Algeria as Barakat wasted a golden opportunity on the final play of the game to vanquish the Fennecs once and for good.

All in all it was an absolute thriller of a game that lived up to its billing and it is hard to imagine that the next one could produce more high drama than this.

Algeria will look to regroup following this result which will undoubtedly be difficult to swallow while Egypt are surely the team with the momentum now.

Rami Ayari, Goal.com
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