Egypt conceded a stoppage-time penalty to lose 2-1 to Sierra Leone in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on Saturday. A gritty performance from the young Pharaohs turned into an agonizing defeat as the African champions officially wave goodbye to the qualifiers for the first time. Sierra Leone took the lead inside the first 15 minutes through defender Sherriff Suma, but Petrojet striker Marawan Mohsen leveled things for Egypt before half time. In the dying moments of the game, striker Mohamed Bangura wrapped up the victory for the home side after converting a successful spot kick. Sierra Leone move to second in Group 7 after grabbing their eighth point to level with leaders South Africa, who visit Niger on Sunday in a crucial fixture. Egypt remain languishing in fourth place with two points and are now sure of finishing the campaign at the bottom, trailing third-placed Niger by four points ahead of this month's meeting. Poor start, late leveler Apart from skipper Ahmed Hassan and midfielder Amr Al-Sulaya, twelve Egyptians made their senior debuts in Freetown, with five members of the U-20 team in the starting line-up. ENPPI's Mohamed Abou-Gabal started in goal, while Ahmed Sobhi, Islam Ramadan, Mohamed Abdul-Fattah and Ahmed Hegazi comprised the back four. In midfield, Hassan and Al-Sulaya led the line beside Ahmed Magdi and Mohamed Al-Nenni, while Mohamed Salah played behind Mohsen upfront.
Hassan's 176th cap ended in a sore defeat Sierra Leone were off to a good start when defender Suma claimed a scruffy goal from a corner on 14 points, following a joint-error from Sobhi and Ramadan. Egypt took control after the early goal and looked consistently threatening through the hosts' vulnerable left side, with right winger Magdi wasting a couple of good chances including a sitter from six yards out. The visitors' efforts finally paid on the cusp of half time, but the young Pharaohs had Sierra Leone goalkeeper Christian Caulker to thank for the equalizing goal. Salah's innocuous shot was actually going wide, only for Caulker to apply an unnecessary save and put the ball back at the mercy of Mohsen, who bundled home into an empty net. Sierra Leone almost pegged back immediately when striker Mohamed Bangura took on two defenders before blasting high when he was one-on-one with Abou-Gabal. Killer penalty It was all Sierra Leone after the break and the significant dominance was embodied in a handful of consecutive corners that were met by some resilient defending from Egypt. Ramzy's first substitution came on 62 minutes when forward Ahmed Sherweda replaced midfielder Magdi in a relatively attack-minded alteration. The Leone Stars' pressure gradually declined and striker Ibrahim Bangura blasted a golden chance from close range, but made amends by earning the winning penalty late in the game. The Celtic forward dashed brilliantly through Egypt's backline, taking on center-halves Hegazi and Abdul-Fattah, who intervened with a late challenge to concede the penalty on 44 minutes. Mohamed Bangura, who scored Sierra Leone's only goal in the 1-1 draw in Cairo last year, made no mistake from the spot to give the home side a priceless winner in stoppage time.
