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Cairo, Egypt – It was a night of triumph and tears as the Egyptians saw their team take the lead against world champions Argentina by two goals in Atlanta – only for the players. compare conversions header after 13 minutes to knock the Pharaohs out of the World Cup in the round of 16.
Football is a passion in Egypt, and millions of fans watch the game in restaurants, stadiums and homes. The dream of reaching the quarterfinals in North America seemed a long way off after a strong performance against the world champions.
But, trailing by two goals until the 79th minute, Argentina made a stunning comeback: Inspired by Lionel Messi and the clock ticking ever closer, they scored three goals to secure a place in the last eight, breaking Egyptian hearts.
The dramatic ending of the game turned the Egyptians’ joy into sadness, and then anger at he recognized the injustice Several player decisions in favor of Argentina.
But there was also pride in how the national team did.
Under the leadership of Mohamed Salah, the team played and in Egypt everyone has seen them perform for many years.
At a popular cafe in Badrshein, part of Greater Cairo, Umm Wafaa sat at a side table where she asked the cafe owner to arrange for her and her daughters to watch the game. At first, he said his daughters forced him to come, but soon he let out a zaghrouta (ululation) after goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir saved Messi’s penalty in the first half to make it 0-0.
“Honestly, I used the girls as an excuse to show the game… and the girls inspired me,” Umm Wafaa said. “People have been talking about nothing but sports for two days. And what (Egyptian team manager) Hossam Hassan did – raising the Palestinian flag and talking about the people of Gaza – really inspired me to go see the game. “
From happiness to sadness
Egypt were in dream territory when Yasser Ibrahim scored in the first half and Mostafa Zico in the second, although a disallowed goal in the middle of the action did little to dampen spirits.
Ihab Omar, a tuk-tuk driver sitting on the other side of the cafe from Umm Wafaa, was having a great time.
“If we had dreamed what happened in the first round, we would not have imagined what happened,” he told Al Jazeera.
As the minutes passed, Ihab began to feel hopeful. He started asking the people around him who Egypt will play in the quarterfinals.
But football can be a cruel game. Cristian Romero of Argentina scored the first goal in the 79th minute, and Ihab started to look dark. But he hadn’t given up hope – yet.
Murmuring, he said: “God willing, we will score the third, and finish them off.”
But then it was maestro Messi’s turn, who scored Argentina’s goal four minutes later after setting up Romero for their first goal. Just 10 minutes later, Enzo Fernandez stepped up to head in a cross, scoring Argentina’s third – and the best ever.
Ihab was very angry and overturned the table in front of him, along with the drinks that were on it.
“The judge is brutal and unfair! From the beginning, that ball was a penalty for Salah,” he said, referring to what many Egyptians said was a disgrace to the Egyptian leader in preparation for Argentina’s goal. Unlike Egypt’s earlier disallowed goal, the potential foul was not assessed, and Argentina’s goal stood.
Umm Wafaa was also heartbroken, though not angry. Victory, he said, “was possible”. But he did not blame the Egyptian players. He was an “unfair judge”, who was believed to have favored Argentina, wrongly.
Pride in the team
After the game, Ihab tried to hold back the tears in his eyes.
“Despite the shattered dreams when we came so close, we deserved to win, and we played the game of a lifetime against Messi,” he said. “But it is clear that FIFA does not want him out.”
“By God, we are happy with the national team, and we thank God that … we participated in an honorable tournament. If it were not for the injustice, we would have been in the quarterfinals,” he said.
As well as the players’ pride, the Egyptian team’s performance in the World Cup, especially in the match against Argentina, has honored the coach, Hassan.
Egypt’s star striker in the 1990s, and the country’s best player, has already been criticized by many Egyptians since taking charge of the national team in 2024.
One of the opponents was Mohamed Antar, but, as he explained from a cafe in Sheikh Zayed City in Cairo, his opinion changed.
“From the beginning, I was not one of the devotees or fans of Hossam Hassan, but he completely changed the way I see him”, Mohamed said, “whether it is the team that he gathered and built, or the spirit that returned to the national team, which we have not seen since the days of (famous retired player Mohamed) Aboutrika’s generation and the Egyptian team, and how Gaza Egyptians see it. He comforted his people and his support for them”.
“Today, we are happy with the way the national team performed and played, we are disappointed with the victory that was lost because of the referees, we are proud of what happened, and the national recognition that we deserved to win,” said Mohamed.
