Egypt’s hopes for AFCON glory came to a heartbreaking end as they were eliminated by DR Congo in a nail-biting penalty shootout on Sunday. Mohamed Salah, recovering from a hamstring injury, could only watch from home as his team suffered an 8-7 defeat in the shootout.

Returning to Liverpool last week after the injury sustained in the 2-2 draw against Ghana, Salah aimed to recover in time for the AFCON final. However, Egypt’s dreams were shattered by Congo, with goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal missing a crucial penalty in the epic 8-7 defeat.

In a tension-filled last-16 clash that ended 1-1 in San Pedro, Meschack Elia initially gave DR Congo the lead, only for Mostafa Mohamed to equalise from the penalty spot on the stroke of halftime.

The drama continued in extra time, with Egypt’s left back Mohamed Hamdy receiving a red card. Without Salah, who was sidelined due to injury, The Pharaohs held on defensively, forcing the game into a penalty shootout.

Mostafa Mohamed missed from the spot but Arthur Masuaku also followed suit, blasting his penalty over the crossbar. The two sides traded expert penalties before Abou Gabal’s miss set the stage for goalkeeper Mpasi to send Congo through.

Congo now advance to the quarter-finals against Guinea in Abidjan. The disappointment for Egypt was palpable as the dream of AFCON glory slipped away, leaving them to reflect on what might have been.