Egypt upset Senegal in front of home crowd

Egypt could hardly have asked for a better way to begin the second round of the African Qualifiers.

Facing a Senegal team that had won five straight games and was playing in front of a home crowd, Egypt delivered a composed and determined performance to claim a 76-67 victory and keep its qualification hopes firmly alive.

It was more than just a win. Egypt showed Senegal exactly what it takes to beat a team that had looked almost unstoppable coming into the game.

The first lesson was simple: Egypt refused to see itself as the underdog.

With a 3-3 record entering the second round, the Egyptians knew the margin for error was shrinking. They also knew what was at stake. Despite trailing 20-16 after the opening quarter, they stayed patient and gradually took control of the contest.

"We knew that these are must-win games for us. We knew what the atmosphere was going to be like, so we decided we just needed to play together and take it as it comes," said Egypt guard Adam Moussa.

That mentality proved decisive.

Egypt made Senegal work for almost every basket, limiting the hosts to 24 of 70 shooting from the field. Senegal connected on just 5 of 28 attempts from three-point range, while Egypt's own outside shooting was far from spectacular at 8 of 32.

But Egypt found other ways to hurt its opponents.

The Egyptians dominated the battle on the boards, particularly at the offensive end. They collected 23 offensive rebounds and finished with 52 rebounds overall, giving themselves repeated opportunities to score even when the first attempt did not fall.

Senegal, despite its size and athleticism, could not establish the same control inside.

Much of that work came from Egypt's towering frontcourt. Anas Mahmoud and Omar Oraby combined for 28 points and 20 rebounds, with Mahmoud scoring 13 points and Oraby adding 15. Their presence gave Egypt a crucial advantage against a Senegal team built around its imposing size.

Then came perhaps the biggest tactical success of the night: taking Brancou Badio out of the game.

The Senegalese guard, one of the team's most dangerous offensive weapons, never found his rhythm. Egypt forced him away from his comfort zone and into a nightmare shooting performance from beyond the arc.

Badio missed all 11 of his three-point attempts and finished with just nine points. It was his lowest scoring output since the beginning of the African Qualifiers campaign.

Egypt, meanwhile, received an unexpected spark from the bench.

Moussa came into the game as a substitute and made his presence felt immediately, finishing with 14 points on 6 of 15 shooting. His contribution was particularly valuable on a night when Egypt itself struggled offensively, shooting 31 of 82 from the field.

The Egyptians also had to overcome 18 turnovers and made only six of their 13 free throws. Yet those shortcomings mattered less because of their work on defense and on the glass.

"We prepared some tactical plans that worked well, but without the hard work and dedication of our players, these ideas wouldn't have been successful," said Egypt coach Agusti Julbe.

That combination of preparation, discipline and desperation proved enough.

Egypt's victory is also becoming something of a habit when it comes to playing hosts. The North Africans have now beaten a home team twice during the current campaign, having previously defeated Angola in the third window last month.

For Senegal, the defeat brought a five-game winning streak to an end and dropped them to 5-2 in Group F.

For Egypt, the reward was even greater. The victory lifted them to 4-3 and, more importantly, showed that they remain very much in the fight for qualification.

In Dakar, Egypt did not just beat Senegal.

They showed everyone else how.

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[Photography/Imagery : Courtesy of FIBA]