Egypt’s hopes of qualifying for the 2018 African Nations Championship (CHAN) took a big blow after a home draw against Morocco on Sunday.
Egypt took on Morocco for one of the two CHAN 2018 qualification spots allocated to the Northern region, with Algeria facing Libya in the other tie.
The Pharaohs took the lead in the fourth minute after Ahmed El-Sheikh converted a contested penalty for the home team in Alexandria. Little action followed in the rest of the half.
In the second half, Morocco also got themselves an early goal as Badr Banoun scored for the visitors in the 52nd minute. The goal spurred Morocco to dominate the rest of the match.
The guests missed a chance to take the lead on the one-hour mark after Ismaily keeper Mohamed Awad saved Badr’s penalty. The Egyptian keeper also made some vital saves during the second half to keep the Pharaohs’ hopes alive as the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
The 1-1 result is still favourable for the Atlas Lions. They host Egypt, who are looking to make their first CHAN appearance, in Rabat on August 18 for the second leg.
CHAN 2018 is set to be hosted in Kenya, pending a final inspection by CAF. DR Congo are the defending champions.
