By Olukayode Olumuyiwa.
The Young Pharaohs of Egypt snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory against tournament hosts Chile on Friday, keeping their hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the FIFA U-20 World Cup alive. A sensational free-kick in the final moments of stoppage time completed a memorable comeback, securing the team’s first points of the tournament and an all-important third-place finish in the group.
Facing a must-win situation after losing their first two group games, Egypt found themselves trailing early after a goal from Chile’s Javier Carcamo in the 27th minute, assisted by P. Romero. This left the Egyptian side with a mountain to climb as the first half drew to a close. Chile’s P. Romero also picked up a yellow card in the 33rd minute.
However, the Young Pharaohs showed great resolve, coming out firing in the second half. The team’s resurgence began almost immediately after the restart with a substitution at the 46th minute, bringing on Omar Khedr for S. Telib. The impact was instant. Just a minute later, in the 47th minute, Ahmed Abdin netted the crucial equaliser to make the score 1-1, with Omar Khedr providing the assist.
The second half was a tense affair marked by several substitutions as both teams chased a winning goal. For Egypt, Mohamed El Sayed came on for A. Bostangy in the 65th minute, followed by A. Wahid replacing Kabaka a minute later. Chile also shuffled their squad, making two changes in the 69th minute, with J. Silva and F. Marchant entering the fray.
As the clock ticked down, anxiety mounted. Egypt’s Omar Khedr and A. Wahid were booked in the 77th and 80th minutes, respectively. The tension was palpable into the final minutes, and the hosts made one last change in the 78th minute, with R. Godoy replacing L. Millan. With the game seemingly headed for a draw, a late substitution saw Egypt’s A. Khaled enter for A. Nayel in the 90’+2 minute.
Then came the moment of magic. Deep into injury time, in the 90’+5 minute, midfielder Omar Khedr stepped up and curled a spectacular free-kick into the net, sending the Egyptian bench and traveling fans into raptures. The sensational strike secured the dramatic 2-1 victory.
The final minutes saw a late booking for Chile’s M. Sandoval in the 90’+10 minute and a final change for Egypt as S. Safaga was brought on for M. Abdallah just before the final whistle.
The hard-fought win elevates Egypt to third place in Group A. The three points, coupled with a positive goal difference from the comeback, puts the Young Pharaohs firmly in contention to secure one of the four coveted spots reserved for the best third-placed teams, advancing to the Round of 16.
The team will now nervously await the results of other groups to confirm their place in the knockout stage.
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