Triumph to disaster: Egypt’s pride remains as they bow out of World Cup
Cairo, Egypt – It was a night bookended by triumph and tears as Egyptians watched their team lead against reigning world champions Argentina by two
Cairo, Egypt – It was a night bookended by triumph and tears as Egyptians watched their team lead against reigning world champions Argentina by two goals in Atlanta – only for the match to turn on its head in the space of 13 minutes and knock the Pharaohs out of the World Cup in the round of 16. Football is a passion in Egypt, and millions of fans had watched the match in cafes, squares, and homes. The dream of reaching the quarterfinals in North America seemed within touching distance after an impressive and dogged performance against the world champions. But, having been behind by two goals until the 79th minute, Argentina staged a stunning comeback: Inspired by Lionel Messi and with the clock ticking towards full-time, they scored three goals to book their place in the last eight, shattering Egyptians’ hearts. The dramatic end to the match turned Egyptians’ joy into sadness, and then anger at the perceived injustice of a string of referee decisions in Argentina’s favour. But there was also pride in the national team’s performance. Led by Mohamed Salah, the team played as well as any Egyptian has seen them do in years. At a popular cafe in Badrshein, part of greater Cairo, Umm Wafaa sat at a side table she had asked the cafe owner to prepare so she and her young daughters could watch the match. Initially, she said her daughters had forced her to come, but she was soon letting out a zaghrouta (ululation) after goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved a penalty taken by Messi in the first half to keep it 0-0.
“Honestly, I used the girls as an excuse so I could watch the match… and the girls encouraged me,” Umm Wafaa said. “People haven’t been talking about anything but the match for two days. Also, what [Egyptian national team manager] Hossam Hassan did – raising the Palestinian flag and speaking about the people of Gaza – encouraged me even more to go out and watch the match.” From joy to sadness Egypt were in dreamland when Yasser Ibrahim scored in the first half and Mostafa Zico in the second, with even a harshly disallowed goal sandwiched in between doing little to dampen spirits. Ihab Omar, a tuk-tuk driver sitting on the other side of the cafe from Umm Wafaa, had been growing increasingly excited. “If we had dreamed of the scenario that happened in the first half, we never could have imagined what took place,” he told Al Jazeera. As the minutes passed, Ihab became increasingly optimistic. He started asking people sitting next to him who Egypt would play in the quarterfinals. But football can be a cruel game. Argentina’s Cristian Romero scored first in the 79th minute, and Ihab began to look worried. But he had not lost hope – yet. Muttering, he said: “God willing, we’ll score the third, and finish them off.” But then it was the turn of the maestro Messi, who scored Argentina’s equaliser only four minutes after setting up Romero for their first goal.
The BriefWire