Egypt's Last-Gasp Triumph Over Chile Keeps U-20 World Cup Dreams Alive

Match summary

Egypt's Under-20 team revived their World Cup hopes by defeating Chile U-20 2-1 in the third group game of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, late on Saturday.

Vincent Alvarez gave Chile the lead in the 27th minute with a precise strike, while Ahmed Abdeen equalized for Egypt in the 47th minute. Omar Khadr then secured the win with a stoppage-time effort in the 95th minute, finishing from outside the area after a build-up that involved a dispute over who would take the shot.

Egypt finished the group in third place with 3 points, behind Chile on fair-play criteria after all three teams - Egypt, Chile and New Zealand - were level on points and goal difference, with New Zealand having lost 0-3 to Japan.

What it means for Egypt

The Pharaohs now rely on the outcomes from the other groups to determine if they advance to the knockout rounds, as only the best four third-placed teams can join the six group winners in the last 16.

The match featured a tight start, with Egypt looking to press through early cues and Chile replying with dangerous crosses and a near-header that was parried by the Egyptian goalkeeper Ahmed Wahab. Chile continued to threaten, while Egypt's defense, including Moheb Sami on the left, held firm for much of the second half.

In the second half, Egypt's pressure paid off. Ahmed Abdeen headed home a cross from a right-sided move to level the score at 1-1 in the 47th minute, setting the stage for a dramatic finale. Omar Khadr's late winner came after a powerful strike from outside the box, tallying in the 90+5 minute to seal the victory for Egypt.

Final whistle and a buzzing bench as the Egyptians celebrated a result that keeps their dream alive but leaves them needing help from elsewhere to reach the knockout stage.

Punchlines: 1) If football were a math test, Egypt just proved that addition can be dramatic. 2) They say the best goals are extra-time goals, but this one showed Egypt's did a 95th-minute encore—talk about a dramatic finish!