By Oscar Okhifo
Egypt moved within sight of one of the greatest upsets in FIFA World Cup history as Mostafa Mohamed “Zizo” struck his second goal of the match to give the Pharaohs a commanding 2-0 lead over defending champions Argentina in their Round of 16 clash.
After breaking the deadlock earlier in the contest, Zizo delivered another decisive blow with a composed finish that left Argentina reeling and their title defence hanging by a thread.
The second goal capped a remarkable display by the North Africans, who have combined disciplined defending with clinical finishing to outclass the reigning world champions.
Egypt’s confidence has only grown since goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir produced a superb penalty save to deny Lionel Messi, preserving their advantage and shifting the momentum firmly in favour of the African side.
Rather than retreat into their shell, the Pharaohs continued to threaten on the counterattack, with Zizo punishing another lapse in the Argentine defence to double their lead.
Argentina have dominated possession for long spells but have found few answers to Egypt’s organisation and resilience, with Messi and his teammates repeatedly frustrated by a determined defensive display.
With time running out, the South Americans face the daunting prospect of producing a dramatic comeback to keep their World Cup title defence alive.
Egypt, meanwhile, are edging ever closer to a famous victory that would send them into the quarter-finals and rank among the biggest shocks in World Cup knockout history.
At the time of filing this report, the match was still in progress.