Ahmed El-Shennawi (6): The keeper made a brilliant save to prevent Mali's Moussa Marega from scoring. However, he was injured and was substituted after 24 minutes. Ahmed Fathi (7): The 31-year-old right back produced a solid defensive performance on the flank. He was able to contain Marega and Bakary Sako but did not launch any raids upfront, thus failing to help the forwards. Ali Gaber (7): Gabr delivered a solid performance in central defence and was able to clear any danger, especially in the air. Ahmed Hegazy (6.5): Returning from a two-month injury layoff, Hegazy seemed sluggish at the beginning but improved as the match wore on to help Gabr secure the area. Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (6.5): The left back made no runs forward as Egypt were under pressure for most of the game. He was not as defensively solid as right-back Fathi. Mohamed Elneny (6.5): The Arsenal midfielder hasn't lived up to his reputation. He mostly played just in front of Egypt's back-line but could not provide assistance to forwards. He had two attempts early in the game but blasted them wide. Tarek Hamed (7): Playing in central midfield, Hamed succeeded in stopping Mali's attacking attempts in their tracks. He helped Fathi on the right flank but rarely moved upfield, leaving the forwards outnumbered. Abdallah El-Said (6.5): The in-form playmaker was a shadow of his usual self. El-Said, who usually orchestrates any attacking attempts, only provided one chance for Marwan Mohsen early in the game but the latter failed to score. He mostly played deep to help defenders. Mahmoud Trezeguet (7.5): He was Egypt's most efficient player in a game that lacked any offensive spark. Trezeguet had several attempts including a powerful shot from the edge of the area that was deflected into a corner. He also made a solo run before delivering a precise cross to Mohsen, whose header was blocked by the keeper. Mohamed Salah (6.5): Salah failed to provide the needed spark for Egypt. He tried to create spaces on the right flank and was able to deliver a cross to Elneny in the first half. But later on, he was under strict surveillance and failed to provide further help until he was substituted in the 70th minute. Marwan Mohsen (6.5): Egypt's lone striker had a tough physical challenge against Mali's strong defenders. He had two opportunities, the first one in the first half after receiving El-Said's pass but his shot was thwarted by the keeper. He wasted a golden chance when Trezeguet sent an inviting cross but his header was denied by the Mali guardian. Essam El-Hadary (6.5): Coming onto the pitch in the 24th minute, the 44-year old keeper became the oldest player to feature in the Nations Cup history. He was not really tested but still made a great one-handed save to deny what would have been a certain chance for Marega. Ramadan Sobhi (6): Replacing Salah in the 70th minute, Sobhi made a minimal impact upfront. He had no attempts on target but helped full-back Mohamed Abdel-Shafi in closing down spaces on the left flank. Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan (6): He replaced the exhausted Mohsen in the 76th minute but was isolated upfront as the team sat back to defend. He touched the ball a few times during the last 14 minutes.
