Despite Sacrificing Cow, Egypt Coach Blames Bad-luck For AFCON Exit

Egypt coach, Rui Vitoria, has attributed his side’s exit from the ongoing 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire in the round 0f 16 to bad-luck despite sacrificing a cow to bring the team good luck at the tournament.

Recall that Egypt lost 8-7 on a penalty shoot-out against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in the AFCON round of 16 on Sunday night following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.

Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal missed his penalty in the shootout against Congo.

Before the match, Egypt’s team spokesman, Mohamed Morad, had told the Associated Press (AP) on Friday, that the country’s Football Federation killed a cow and distributed the meat to needy people in Cairo, Egypt earlier on Thursday.

But Vitoria when asked about his future said: “This is not the time for hasty decisions; we will think before making any decision.

“This is not the end; we did not expect defeat. Bad luck was the reason for Egypt’s loss against the DR of Congo.”

He added, “The players were very good and this is football – it has both happy and sad times.

“We prepared this team for the Africa Cup of Nations, but there are times when you put in all your effort and the result is not as expected. We need to look at our future goals.”