Egypt clinched third place at the Al Ain International Cup on Monday after overcoming Cape Verde 2–0 on penalties, following a 1–1 draw in regulation time—thanks largely to a standout performance from substitute goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir, whose penalty-shootout heroics sealed the victory.
Cape Verde struck early, converting a sixth-minute penalty after Mohamed Hany conceded a foul inside the box. Egypt struggled to settle, still feeling the effects of their earlier 2–0 loss to Uzbekistan, but an improved second-half display saw Omar Marmoush level the score in the 57th minute and repeatedly threaten the Island side’s goal.
Egypt briefly thought they had completed the turnaround when Ossama Faysal netted from a Marmoush solo run in the 66th minute, but the goal was disallowed for a foul on the Cape Verde keeper. A late scare came nine minutes from time when Cape Verde’s Monteiro forced a point-blank save from Mohamed El-Shenawy, keeping Egypt alive.
In a tactical gamble, coach Hossam Hassan replaced El-Shenawy with Shobeir moments before the penalty shootout—an unusual move that proved absolutely decisive. Shobeir delivered a flawless performance, saving two kicks while Cape Verde missed their other attempts in a rare four-penalty collapse.
Egypt defenders Hossam Abdel-Maguid and Mohamed Hamdi calmly converted their spot kicks to secure the win. Despite inconsistent play throughout the tournament and the absence of Mohamed Salah, Egypt’s young squad closed their UAE campaign on a positive note ahead of AFCON 2025 preparations.
