Egypt secured their place in the semi-finals of the TotalEnergies CAF U20 Africa Cup of Nations Egypt 2025 after a thrilling 5-4 penalty shootout victory over Ghana, following a pulsating 2-2 draw after extra time at the New Suez Stadium.
In a high-stakes encounter between two African youth football powerhouses, the drama unfolded late into the night. Egypt ultimately prevailed over a determined Ghana side that was reduced to 10 men after Aaron Essel received a second yellow card in extra time.
The match started at a frenetic pace, with Egypt racing into a two-goal lead thanks to a clinical brace from Momen Sherif. He opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a powerful finish from the center of the box and doubled the advantage in the 27th after Ghana failed to clear their lines.
Ghana responded just before halftime through their talisman Aziz Issah, whose superb left-footed strike from outside the area halved the deficit and reignited hope for the Black Satellites.
The second half was a tense, tactical affair. Egypt looked set to hold on, but VAR intervened in stoppage time to award Ghana a penalty for a foul on Joseph Opoku. Abdul Sulemana stepped up and coolly converted in the 90+11th minute to send the tie into extra time.
Despite both sides pushing for a winner in the additional 30 minutes, the breakthrough never came. Ghana’s task became harder in the 107th minute when Essel was sent off for a second bookable offense.
Egypt came close to capitalizing, with chances falling to Omar Fathy and Amr Khaled, but the match would ultimately be decided by penalties.
In the shootout, both teams were clinical. Ghana saw successful conversions from Aziz Issah, Denis Marfo, Joseph Opoku, and Musibau Aziz. However, Dacosta Antwi’s miss proved costly as Egypt maintained composure from the spot. Ahmed Abdin, Ahmed Kabaka, Seif El Deen Essam, Mohamed Raafat, and Abdallah Boustenji all scored to send the hosts through.
The victory marks Egypt’s eighth appearance in the semi-finals of the U20 AFCON. It’s a significant achievement, especially considering they entered the quarter-finals with the tournament’s poorest goal difference.
For Ghana, the result was another painful exit at the hands of Egypt in a U20 knockout match, reminiscent of their 2013 final defeat. Though they exit the tournament empty-handed, they leave with heads held high after a spirited performance.
Egypt now stand two wins away from capturing their fifth continental title, with their confidence and momentum on the rise.
