Ten Men, Big Heart: Egypt Scrapes a Point Against Venezuela in the U17 World Cup

First half: Venezuela strike early as Egypt fights back

Egypt’s U17 team entered the match in Qatar with determination, but Venezuela pressed from the start. A cross found Marcos Maitan and he headed Venezuela ahead in the 18th minute, exploiting defensive gaps. Egypt pushed for the equalizer with chances from Hamza Abdel Karim and others, but the first half ended with Venezuela in front.

Second half: Egypt equalizes, red card reshapes the game

Early in the second half, Hamza Abdel Karim headed home from a precise cross to level the score in the 54th minute. In the 60th minute, Mohamed Hamad received a red card, leaving Egypt with ten men for the remainder of the match. Substitutions followed as Ansh Rashdi came on after 63 minutes, and the game became a test of resilience as both sides chased a winner.

Group standings and the run toward the finale

Egypt sits on four points at the top of Group E on goal difference, ahead of Venezuela. England has three points, and Haiti remains without points. In the same group, England defeated Haiti 8-1 with a hat-trick from Chizaram Ezinowata and two goals from Luke Williams Barnett, shaping a dramatic final round where the top two and the best eight third-placed teams advance.

Egypt will face England on Monday in the group’s final match, with qualification on the line for the first and second spots plus a chance for third-place teams to sneak through.

Punchline: If life hands you a red card, just channel your inner Klopp and make a point anyway. Punchline 2: Ten men, one heart, and a scoreboard that still believes in miracles.