Champions Egypt Barely Beats Upstarts Senegal 1-0 Champions Egypt Barely Beats Upstarts Senegal 1-0 January 28, 2000 KANO, Nigeria (PANA) - Champions Egypt, drawing experience and luck from veteran Striker Hossam Hassan, barely scraped by Senegal 1-0 in Friday's Group C match of the 22nd African Cup of Nations contest played in Kano, northern Nigeria, before a capacity crowd. While the Pharaohs might have won the match with a close range well-taken 37th minute Hassan header, the Lions surely won the respect of the crowd, especially in the dying minutes of the game, as they cheered them on for an equaliser. Clearly conscious of the gap separating them from the Egyptians, the Senegalese fought hard like wounded lions in an effort to erase the score line. Time after time they raided the Pharaohs' territory, only to be frustrated by the Egyptian defence or the Lions' own poor finishing. The Senegalese continued to press hard for their own luck, but in spite of having an upper hand in the second half, in the end perhaps lions were not meant to tame the master. The final whistle was a big relief for the Egyptians and a painful reminder of the Senegalese of coming so close and yet stopping so far. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 2000 Panafrican News Agency. All Rights Reserved.