|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Defending champ bounced Tunisia downs Egypt to move into semifinals
Posted: Monday February 07, 2000 01:48 PM
KANO, Nigeria (AP) -- Defending champion Egypt crashed out of the African Nations Cup on Monday after a narrow 1-0 quarterfinal defeat at the hands of North African rival Tunisia. Khaled Badra's 20th-minute penalty, awarded after Egyptian defender Ibrahim Said foolishly tripped Tarek Thabet, was enough to clinch a cagey match and earn Tunisia a place in the last four. Egypt's veteran striker Hassan Hossam, playing in his last African Nations Cup match, worked tirelessly to extend The Pharaohs' six-match African Nations Cup winning streak. But Tunisia's back four, expertly marshaled by Radhi Jaidi, kept him at bay. Hossam, who scored seven times in Egypt's march to the African title in 1998, single-handedly carved out his team's best chance in the 42nd miute but saw his shot kicked out by goalkeeper Chokri El Ouaer. Chokri did well to keep out a long-range Hossam free kick just after half-time. Egypt, a four-time African champion and the only team that won all three of its group matches at this year's competition, began as favorite against a Tunisian outfit that squeezed through to the last eight on goal difference. But despite its territorial domination, Egypt struggled to penetrate Tunisia's back four. Tunisia continues its search for a first ever African Cup title on Thursday, when it faces Cameroon in Accra.
| ||||||||||||||||||||
