A last-gasp stunner by Emad Meteb earned Egypt a precious 2-0 victory over Algeria at Cairo Stadium on Saturday, to set-up a playoff game between both teams on Wednesday. FilGoal.com assessed Egypt's players on a scale of 1 to 10. Essam Al-Hadari (10): As usual, the High Dam put in a magnificent performance. He incredibly prevented several clear-cut opportunities to maintain a clean sheet and contribute to the historic win. Ahmed Al-Muhammadi (6,5): The talented winger was arguably the worst among the Pharaohs. He failed to fulfill his defensive duties and most of his crosses were far from accurate. He slightly improved in the second half. Hani Saied (8): the Zamalek defender produced an assured display and seemed to be unfazed by the immense importance of the game. However, he made a deadly mistake that could have cost his team dearly. Abdul-Zaher Al-Saqqa (9): The veteran defender made an astounding international comeback. He was nothing less than spectacular and had a hand in the opener.
Ahmed Fathi (8,5): The natural midfielder, who played as a central defender instead of the suspended Wael Gomaa, was amazing. He gave his all and came across a competent marker on numerous occasions. Sayed Moawad (8,5): He posed a great deal of threat from the left wing. The Ahli wide man also takes credit for the second goal when his cross found an unmarked Meteb. Ahmed Hassan (8,5): The Egypt skipper was at his best and didn't ease off for a second. He was instrumental in midfield and repeatedly stole the ball from challengers. Mohamed Hommos (7): The Ismaili man barely came up with the goods. His presence wasn't quite felt throughout the game, but he didn't commit mistakes till he was taken off in the second half. Mohamed Abou-Treika (7,5): He made a number of mistakes and wasted a couple of scoring opportunities, but like the majority of his teammates, the Ahli superstar was energetic. Mohmed Zidan (6,5): The skillful forward, who partnered Amr Zaki upfront, was clearly out of form. However, he had a shot blocked by the keeper in the build-up to Zaki's goal.
Amr Zaki (9): The robust hitman hit the first goal with a follow-up effort. His performance was satisfactory till me made way for Meteb. Substitutes: Mohamed Barakat (7,5): The Ahli man was sent in instead of Hommos. His introduction injected zeal to some extent and helped Egypt pile on pressure upfront. Emad Meteb (9): Finally, Meteb raised eyebrows on the international stage after a string of poor displays with the African champions. His neat header deep into injury time set up a playoff game with the stubborn Desert Foxes. Ahmed Eid (..): He replaced Zidan 13 minutes from time, and thus didn't have enough time to make a tangible impact.
