Brazilian coach Rogério Mikali expressed his sadness and regret over the lost dream of qualifying for the final in the football competition at the Paris Olympic Games. The Egyptian national team exited the Olympic tournament in the semifinals after losing to France 1-3 after extra time. The Egyptian team played the extra periods with ten players following the red card shown to midfielder Omar Faied for receiving a second yellow card in the second minute of the first extra period. Egypt will face Morocco next Thursday at the "La Beaujoire" stadium in Nantes to determine the third place and the bronze medal.
Mikali stated in an interview with FIFA's official website after the loss to France that Egypt was leading (1-0) until the final minutes, noting that Omar Faied's red card disrupted the Pharaohs' plans. He added, "Everything changed after the red card; France is a strong opponent, but we were capable of winning." He concluded by saying, "This is football; I congratulate France on qualifying and for the strong match they presented, and we must hold our heads high to focus on the match against Morocco."
