Mo Salah & Friends blow two-goal lead, crash out

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...As Messi inspired Argentina stage stunning comeback


By Maxwell Kumoye 


 

 

Seven time African champions Egypt's World Cup campaign came to a heartbreaking stop on Tuesday as they wasted a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 to defending champions Argentina in the last 16 at Atlanta Stadium.


Egypt was 2-0 up until the 79th minute before Argentina scored three times in the final 11 minutes to complete a dramatic comeback and book their place in the quarter-finals.


Defender Yasser Ibrahim opened the scoring in the 15th minute before Mostafa "Zizo" Abdel-Raouf doubled Egypt's lead in the 67th.


Cristian Romero halfed the score in the 79th minute, before eight Baloon d'or winner Lionel Messi levelled five minutes and Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez struck deep into stoppage time to seal a hard-fought victory for Argentina.


The winner came from a counter-attack as Lautaro Martinez crossed from the right and Fernandez cushioned a back-post header past goalkeeper Mostafa Shoubir, who had done much earlier to keep his team in the game.


Egypt felt they deserved a penalty before the breakaway and vociferously complained but to no avail.


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