A solitary strike from Mohamed Salah secured a 1-0 win for Egypt over Ghana in a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations clash at the Stade de Port-Gentil in the Gabonese city of Port-Gentil yesterday evening.
Victory secured the Egyptian’s passage to the next round as Group D winners with the Ghanaian’s joining their rivals in the quarterfinals – having finished in second spot above Mali and Uganda.
The Pharaohs will as a result face North African rivals Morocco in the next round, while the Black Stars take on the Democratic Republic of Congo for a place in the final four.
Egypt hit the front with 11 minutes on the clock. Following a foul on the edge of the area, Salah duly stepped up the spot with the Roma man drilling an unstoppable left-footed free-kick into the top corner of the net.
The thunderbolt his second goal against the Black Stars in succession following his strike in Alexandria last year.
On the half-hour mark, Héctor Cúper would have had his heart in his mouth when Essam El Hadary appeared to nurse an injury, but the veteran shot-stopper was okay to continue with the Pharaohs having already lost Ahmed El Shenawy to injury in this tournament.
Ghana controlled possession, but the West Africans were lucky not to go a further goal down in the 39th minute. Black Stars goal-minder Brimah Razak
played the ball straight to Marwan Mohsen, but the Al Ahly striker was unable to hit the target with the goal at his mercy.
The Black Stars were dealt a major blow soon after with influential captain Asamoah Gyan forced off the field with an expected groin injury. The star forward clearly gutted as he left the field having hoped to net his 50th goal for country on the night.
Daniel Amartey produced Ghana’s best chance of the half, but the Leicester City man was unable to direct his header on target having found a pocket of space at the back post. Egypt 1-0 up at the interval.
Ghana continued to dominate proceedings after the break with Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu forcing El Hadary into a top save in the 68th minute.
The Black Stars continued to probe and conjured one last change through Jordan Ayew in the 90th minute, but El Hadary held firm. The 44-year-old with an outstanding save to seal all three points for the seven-time champions.
