Egypt’s U-17 team faced a crushing blow in their African Cup of Nations journey, falling 2-1 to Burkina Faso on Thursday at Al-Arabi Al-Zawali Stadium in Morocco during the second round of Group B.
Under coach Ahmed Al-Kass, the Pharaohs are still pointless after a second straight loss, languishing at the bottom of the standings, while Burkina Faso surges ahead with 6 points.
The campaign kicked off with a 4-3 defeat to South Africa last Monday. Against Burkina Faso, Egypt pushed to control the midfield early on, even appealing for a penalty when a handball went unnoticed during a cross from winger Anas Rushdi. But Burkina Faso struck first in the 41st minute. Issouf Dabo pounced on a rebound after a fierce shot slipped through the Pharaohs’ goalkeeper, coolly slotting it home to close the half.
In the second half, goalkeeper Yassin Hatem thwarted a one-on-one chance, but Abdel Aziz El Zoghbi squandered a golden opportunity. Burkina Faso capitalized in the 69th minute when Lokman Tapsoba turned a cross into a goal.
Egypt’s Belal Attia pulled one back in the 78th minute, finishing a slick through ball from Anas Rushdi, who later fired a shot over the bar. Burkina Faso secured a FIFA U-20 World Cup spot, while Egypt’s quarter-final dreams faded.
