The aspirations of Mohamed Salah returning to Egypt to lead his national team to Africa Cup of Nations glory have been shattered following a stunning upset by DR Congo.

Egypt, the seven-time champions, were aiming to secure their first tournament victory since 2010, and Salah was eager to add the elusive trophy to his accolades. However, he could only watch from England as he continued his rehabilitation from an injury, witnessing Egypt’s heartbreaking exit after an 8-7 penalty shootout loss.

In a thrilling last-16 clash that ended 1-1 after 120 minutes, Meschack Elia put DR Congo, ranked 67th in the world, on the verge of a major upset. However, their lead lasted just nine minutes, as Mostafa Mohamed converted a penalty on the brink of halftime. The match was ultimately decided by penalties, with DR Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi netting the 18th spot-kick to send the underdogs through to the quarter-finals.

Egypt’s goalkeeper, Gabaski, saw his penalty attempt hit the top of the crossbar in the ninth round of the shootout, providing Mpasi with his moment of glory. Egypt’s tournament journey comes to an end without a single victory, following three consecutive draws in the group stages.

Mohamed Salah, sidelined due to a hamstring injury, had hoped to recover and rejoin his country during the latter stages of the competition. Unfortunately, that possibility is now no longer on the table. However, this setback could be seen as a silver lining for Liverpool, as they may have the opportunity to reintegrate him into their squad earlier than expected.

For Salah and Egypt, the frustration of falling short in the tournament is palpable, especially after being the runners-up in the previous edition. Salah had expressed his deep desire to eventually clinch the Africa Cup of Nations title, stating, “I have won everything possible, but this one not yet. Everybody knows what it means to any player to win an Africa Cup. We were unlucky at the last one and also in Gabon. The players are very motivated to win the tournament. We all want to win it.”

Remarkably, the last time DR Congo defeated Egypt in an AFCON encounter was 50 years ago in the semi-finals—the year they went on to lift the trophy. DR Congo will now face Guinea in the upcoming quarter-finals scheduled for Friday.