Egypt has advanced to the semi-finals of the Olympic football tournament for the first time in 60 years, overcoming Paraguay in a dramatic penalty shootout at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille.
This victory sets up a highly anticipated semi-final clash against either France or Argentina.
The Pharaohs, who had successfully navigated a challenging group stage that included Spain, faced a Paraguayan team known for their defensive vulnerabilities. Despite this, the match began cautiously, with both sides wary of taking risks.
The first significant chance came just past the half-hour mark when Mahmoud Saber of Egypt found himself one-on-one with Paraguayan goalkeeper Roberto Fernández but failed to convert.
Paraguay managed to weather the first half without conceding, even registering more shots than Egypt, though none were particularly threatening.
The second half saw Paraguay’s defense tested again. Ahmed Sayed exploited space on the right flank to set up Ibrahim Adel for a close-range attempt, but Adel missed the ball entirely. Paraguay responded with a powerful shot from Marcelo Pérez, forcing a save from Egyptian goalkeeper Hamza Alaa.
Paraguay eventually broke the deadlock in the 71st minute with a precise through ball from Julio Enciso to Diego Gómez, who calmly finished into the bottom corner. With time running out, the Pharaohs equalized in the 88th minute when Adel, redeeming himself for the earlier miss, headed in a perfect cross from Zizo.
The match proceeded to extra time, where both teams appeared exhausted. Egypt nearly clinched the win with an Adel rebound, but Fernández’s save ensured the game would be decided by penalties.
In the shootout, Hamza Alaa’s brilliant save against Pérez gave the North Africans the advantage. The Pharaohs executed a flawless set of penalties, with Adel scoring the decisive goal to secure Egypt’s place in the semi-finals for the first time since 1964.
