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Egypt shocks Italy at Confederations Cup

Thu 18th, June 2009

Johannesburg, South Africa (Sports Network) - Mohamed Homos scored and Essam El Hadary made six saves, leading Egypt to a 1-0 win over 2006 World Cup champion Italy at Ellis Park Stadium on Thursday in the FIFA Confederations Cup.

Homos scored the lone goal in the 40th minute and El Hadary made numerous great saves to hold off the Italians.

Egypt, which lost 4-3 to five-time World Cup winner Brazil on Monday, remained in contention for a semifinal berth entering its final Group B game against the United States on Sunday.

Brazil topped the United States, 3-0, on Thursday and leads the group. Italy is second in the group, followed by Egypt and the United States.

Italy plays Brazil on Sunday on the last day of the group stage with all four teams still mathematically alive. Spain has already clinched a semifinal berth from Group A.

Italy, which topped the U.S. 3-1 on Monday, had the first three chances against Egypt. American-born striker Giuseppe Rossi, who scored twice against the U.S., had the first chance in the 12th minute but fired high.

Vincenzo Iaquinta followed with a shot in the 24th that El Hadary knocked wide, and Rossi was denied in the 26th on a shot the goalie tipped over the bar.

Egypt struck in the closing minutes of the half when Homos notched his first- ever international goal.

Hosni Abd Rabou helped set up the goal by forcing Italy goalie Gianluigi Buffon to tip his 28-yard shot over the bar. Mohamed Aboutrika sent the corner kick to the middle of the area and Homos rose to head the ball off the left post and in from 11 yards out.

Italy nearly tied the match in the 54th when a ball over Egypt's backline freed Iaquinta in the area. Iaquinta did well to get a slight touch on the ball, and it popped up and off his arm - which was not called - but as he took a shot the ball was deflected away by a charging El Hadary.

Andrea Pirlo had Italy's next good scoring chance in the 63rd, but his curling free kick from 25 yards sailed just wide of the right post.

Iaquinta followed in the 70th with another great chance, but after shielding a defender to open space, turned and fired into a sprawling El Hadary.

Italy's chances continued with Riccardo Montolivo, who entered in the 57th in a double switch that also saw Luca Toni enter and Rossi and Gennaro Gattuso exit, directing a Toni cross too close to El Hadary and he got down to knock the 16- yard shot wide in the 74th.

Egypt finally showed some offensive life in the 77th, but Mohamed Aboutrika's 19-yard shot sailed high.

El Hadary was back to work in the 78th, making his best save of the match for a one-handed stop on a six-yard one-timer from Iaquinta. El Hadary stuck his left hand out to knock the shot down, and kept it out of the goal as he fell back on the line near the post.

Italy did got a shot past El Hadary in the 86th, but Iaquinta's shot deflected off the bar. The Italians had another shot in the 89th off a 26-yard free kick, but Pirlo fired well off target to waste the chance and Egypt cleared a corner kick in the 94th to hold on to win the teams' first meeting since 1954.