DR Congo pulled off a major upset at the Africa Cup of Nations by eliminating record seven-time champions Egypt in a dramatic penalty shootout on Sunday.
The match ended 1-1 after extra time, with Meschack Elia giving DR Congo the lead in the first half and Mostafa Mohamed equalising from the spot just before the break.
Egypt were reduced to 10 men in the second half of extra time when Mohamed Hamdi received his second yellow card for a foul on Simon Banza.
The shootout was a tense affair, with both teams scoring their first seven penalties. Egypt’s goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal then missed his kick, hitting the crossbar, and DR Congo’s keeper Lionel Mpasi stepped up to convert the decisive spot-kick and send his team into the last eight.
DR Congo will face Guinea, who beat Equatorial Guinea 1-0 earlier on Sunday, in the quarter-finals on Friday in Abidjan.
This was the first time that Egypt, who were without their injured star Mohamed Salah, failed to reach the quarter-finals since 2004.
DR Congo, who had drawn all their three group games, showed great resilience and determination to overcome the odds and knock out one of the tournament favourites.