Egypt scrapes past Sudan to reach knockout rounds

Egypt beat neighbors Sudan 1-0 in Yaounde on Wednesday to secure their progress to the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations, finishing second behind Nigeria in Group D after another strenuous performance.

Midfielder Mohamed Abdelmoneim, drafted due to injury, nodded home after 38 minutes from a corner to break through when Egypt dominated the derby but created few chances.

The display will not do much to mitigate the criticism that followed the Egyptians’ first two matches of the tournament, a 1-0 loss to Nigeria followed by a narrow victory over little Guinea Bissau.

Egypt finished with six points, three behind Nigeria, and will face the winners of Group E, which will be decided on Thursday. Sudan finished bottom of the group with one point.

(REUTERS)