More Than Game: Celebration in Egypt after first WC qualification in 28 years
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah held his nerve to score a 95th-minute dramatic penalty to send his nation to the World Cup sparking a dramatic celebration on and off the pitch.
Football is more than just a sport, it is a game about feeling and intelligence, a game which bring people together and if anyone one ever questioned that then the footage from Egypt after they qualified for the World Cup after 28 long years.
Egypt’s hero. ???????? pic.twitter.com/Qk8ZpOKXNh
— Squawka News (@SquawkaNews) October 8, 2017
Liverpool star Mohamed Salah held his nerve to score a 95th-minute dramatic penalty to send his nation to the World Cup sparking a dramatic celebration on and off the pitch.
This is Cairo tonight after Egypt qualifying to World Cup after 28 years pic.twitter.com/G6gqep8NT8
— Tancredi Palmeri (@tancredipalmeri) October 8, 2017
However, the celebration was not just contained inside the stadium, Fans honking car horns and waving Egypt's red, white and black flags took the streets across the country.
After 28-years, Egypt have qualified for the World Cup. Here’s how much it means to the nation...????
— FTS Football (@FromTStands) October 8, 2017
????: @sdeezy_ pic.twitter.com/NWmOQv4AE2
In Cairo, an army helicopter dropped hundreds of Egyptian flags on thousands of fans gathered at the city's iconic Tahrir square.
#Salah made this kid fly of happiness.#EgyptToday @22mosalah #Salah #محمد_صلاح #حلم_90مليون #مصر_الي_كاس_العالم #مصر_الكونجو #Egypt pic.twitter.com/AHMKtZAKVa
— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) October 8, 2017
The raucous mood spilling out on the streets marked a respite for Egyptians after years of hardship, from International Monetary Fund (IMF)-backed austerity reforms that have pushed inflation to record highs to a tough law on protests that has made public gatherings exceedingly rare after two presidents were toppled since a 2011 uprising.