Egypt on Wednesday qualified for the final of the Gabon 2017 Africa Cup of Nations after beating Burkina Faso 4-3 on penalties.
The game went to penalties after finishing 1-1 at the end of extra time.
A sumptuous strike by Mohamed Salah in the 66th minute looked to have record seven-time champions Egypt heading into Sunday’s final.
But Burkina Faso were level just seven minutes later thanks to Aristide Bance, the goal the first conceded by the Egyptians at this Cup of Nations, and there was no further scoring.
Meanwhile, Ghana go into a sixth consecutive semi-final at the Cup of Nations when they face Cameroon in Franceville on Thursday (today).
The Black Stars have not won the trophy since 1982, instead gaining a reputation for coming up just short all too often over the last decade.
Avram Grant’s side lost on penalties to the Ivory Coast in the final two years ago, while their current run of near misses began with a 1-0 last-four defeat to Cameroon at home in Accra in 2008.
But in Gabon they have seemed like a side on a mission to end their long title drought and a 2-1 quarter-final win over DR Congo in Oyem on Sunday, secured thanks to a goal each from the Ayew brothers, took them through to the last four.
“It’s not just by chance but by the hard work the team has put in,” Ghana’s assistant coach Maxwell Konadu told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the Black Stars’ consistency at the tournament.
“The players are always willing to do something for their nation. One thing we all dream to achieve is to win the cup this time around.”
Konadu confirmed that Ghana are hopeful of having skipper Asamoah Gyan –a survivor of the 2008 squad – back fit from the adductor injury suffered in their last group game against Egypt and that kept him out of the DR Congo win.
The sedate town of Franceville, set amidst lush green rolling hills around the Mpassa river, was the venue for Cameroon’s penalty shoot-out win over Senegal in the last round.
So while Ghana had to travel to the south-east of Gabon from Oyem, Cameroon were able to stay at their base in the nearby town of Moanda, one of the biggest manganese producers in the world.
There Hugo Broos’s side have been preparing in the knowledge they have already exceeded expectations in making it this far.
Their build-up has been slightly tarnished over a disagreement relating to bonuses, with Broos saying the country’s federation has shown the team “a lack of respect”.
But the coach insisted that the issue would not be held up as an excuse if their run ends here. – AFP.
