2 hours ago With 12 minutes of mean clip remaining Egypt stood connected the cusp of their top ever World Cup result.
The Pharaohs led Argentina, the reigning satellite champions, 2-0 successful Atlanta Stadium.
A quarter-final spot - their archetypal - beckoned for the football-mad African country.
Then it went wrong. Horribly wrong.
When Cristian Romero reduced the shortage successful the 79th minute, it was a lawsuit of Egypt digging in. But they looked panic-stricken erstwhile skipper Lionel Messi - who else? - made it 2-2 4 minutes later.
Enzo Fernandez past completed a singular turnaround with a header successful the 2nd infinitesimal of stoppage-time.
Egypt were down and out - and downright furious aft the video adjunct referee (VAR) ruled retired a 2nd extremity by Mostafa Zico for a foul aft midfielder Marwan Attia was penalised for somewhat stepping connected Lisandro Martinez astatine the commencement of the move, erstwhile they were starring 1-0.
They were besides adamant Mohamed Salah was fouled successful Argentina's punishment area, seconds earlier the reigning champions broke for the winner.
"There is truthful overmuch inconsistency astatine the infinitesimal with VAR and decisions and however acold you spell backmost to propulsion a decision," Egyptian shot adept Ahmad Yousef told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"There was specified a agelong region that had gone by and the foul was truthful minimal truthful I wholly recognize wherefore the Egyptian coaching unit and squad are truthful disappointed."
When French referee Francois Letexier signalled full-time, galore of Egypt's players slumped to the level successful disbelief astatine what had conscionable happened.
Salah swapped shirts with his erstwhile Liverpool team-mate Alexis MacAllister earlier walking disconnected the transportation with his caput bowed, portion different players stood shaking their heads.
"There were truthful galore subplots and stories to this game," said erstwhile England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who was successful the crushed moving for BBC Radio 5 Live.
This lucifer had everything - a punishment save, a disallowed goal, a reddish paper arsenic good arsenic a thrilling comeback.
BBC Sport unpicks a crippled that volition spell down successful World Cup past for featuring a squad who were 2 goals down truthful precocious on, but who went connected to triumph without needing other time.
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