A water bottle held by Egypt's goalkeeper Mohamed Abu Jabal has gone viral on social media and sparked controversy. The player, who led his national team to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, placed a paper on his water bottle before executing penalty kicks during the semi-final match against Cameroon on their home ground. According to Egyptian media, the paper contained the specific angles of the penalty kicks taken by Cameroon's players in previous matches, which Abu Jabal memorized well before the penalty shootout began.
This seemed to assist the skilled goalkeeper in saving two penalty kicks and helping Egypt qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 final at the expense of Cameroon. Essam El-Hadary, the Egyptian national team goalkeeping coach, expressed his great joy at Abu Jabal's performance and his contribution to the team's advancement to the final match of the tournament.
El-Hadary stated in remarks to the "On Time Stadium" program, "The pressure is very high, and we congratulate the fans in Egypt and the Arab world. We are happy today, but in 48 hours, we have a final match. I thank the goalkeepers because they were under great pressure."
He added, "Throughout my life, I have worked hard in my job and I have faith that God will grant me success. I hope we return victorious for the Egyptian people." Speaking about "Jamaica," he said, "There is a bottle I call the blessed bottle in Abu Jabal's hand, and we will showcase it in the future and explain its story."
The Egyptian team is set to face Senegal in the final match of the Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place next Sunday at 9 PM, following the elimination of the host nation, Cameroon, after winning the penalty shootout 3-1 in the semi-finals.
Sadio Mane, the star of the Senegalese national team and Liverpool player, predicted before the tournament that he would face the Egyptian team in the finals. He stated in comments published by the official account of the African Football Confederation (CAF) on Twitter: "I want to send a message to my friends Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita. The truth is I cannot face two teams in the Africa Cup of Nations final, and I do not know whom to choose between Egypt and Guinea."
The Pharaohs' qualification came after eliminating the home team Cameroon from the tournament, which serves as a promise kept by Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, who will face the Senegalese national team in the final match.
