 Egypt's Ahmed Hassan vies for possession with Cameroon's Patrick Mboma |
Cameroon 0-0 Egypt
Four-time winners Egypt went out of the 2004 Cup of Nations following their goalless draw against Cameroon.
The Pharaohs finished level on points and goal difference with second-placed Algeria, but go out courtesy of the latter's superior goal tally.
Cameroon rarely looked in trouble in defence, although Tarek El Sayed rattled the angle of post and bar late on.
Cameroon top Group C with five points, and were content to play for the draw.
The Indomitable Lions' quest for their third consecutive Cup of Nations title thus remains on course.
The physically-imposing Cameroon side wasted no time in mounting a series of offensives in the early stages of the tie, with striker Patrick Mboma nearly grabbing the opener in the ninth minute.
The former African Footballer of the Year met Geremi Njitap's free-kick from the right-hand side of the pitch but was unable to control the ball with his left foot, and forced the ball over the bar from close-range.
After the match Cameroon were given a $500 (�272) fine for Geremi's use of foul and abusive language during the game.
Egypt subsequently overcame their stage fright and took the fight to the defending African champions.
Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam, spearheading the Pharoahs' attack, might have put the North Africans in front in the 12th minute when he outwitted his markers and pounced on a rebound.
Yet the Marseille striker's weak effort failed to put goalkeeper Idriss Kameni to the test.
Mido's consistent efforts in the Cameroon half led to frayed nerves in the 23rd minute, when he appeared to purposely stamp on Kameni's leg in the penalty area.
Arguments over Mido's conduct led to a confrontation between both teams, which ended with referee Ali Busjaim booking the bustling Egyptian striker.
Yet Cameroon did not escape Busjaim's attention, as Geremi received a subsequent booking in the 34th minute, following a dangerous foul on Tamer Abdel Hamid.
With short crisp passes in midfield, the Pharoahs put the Indomitable Lions under pressure for the better part of the first half.
Outwitting a rather sluggish Rigobert Song on the edge of the box in the 40th minute, Ahmed Ibrahim had the best chance when he ran through the middle but his strike went wide of the right post.
Unhappy with the work rate of Mboma and Samuel Eto'o Fils, Cameroon manager Winfried Schaefer brought in Mohammadou Idrissou and Pius Ndiefi to reinvigorate the attack in the second half.
The ploy did little to swing the pendulum of fortune in favour of the defending champions, with Egypt persistently searching for an all-important goal.
Tarek El Sayed's fierce effort, which hit the post from 20 yards in the 65th minute, was the closest the Pharaohs came.
For three minutes however, Egypt were in the quarter-finals when Zimbabwe took a two-goal lead against Algeria, precisely the scoreline needed for the Pharaohs to progress ahead of the Desert Foxes on goal difference.
However, Hocine Achiou, who scored the winner against Egypt in Algeria's shock victory last Thursday, broke Egyptian hearts again as his goal took the Algerians through on their superior goal tally.
Yet it was ultimately Egypt's lack of bite that cost them dear and handed the Indomitable Lions passage to the quarter-finals.
Cameroon: 1-Idriss Carlos Kameni; 2-Jean-Joel Perrier Doumbe, 4-Rigobert Song, 13-Lucien Mettomo, 5-Timothee Atouba; 8-Geremi Fotso Njitap, 7-Modeste Mbami, 19-Eric Djemba Djemba, 14-Jean Makoun (20-Salomon Olembe 52), 9-Samuel Eto'o (11-Pius Ndiefi 81), 10-Patrick Mboma (18-Mohamadou Idrissou 64)
Egypt: 16-Abdelwahed El Sayed; 3-Wael El Quabbani, 5-Abdelzaher El Saqqa, 15-Bechir Al Tabei; 7-Ahmed Fathi, 8-Tamer Abdelhamid (10-Ahmed Bilal), 13-Tarek El Sayed, 11-Tarek Said, 17-Ahmed Hassan; 9-Ahmed Hossam, 18-Hossam Ghali
Referee: Mohamed Ali Bujsaim (United Arab Emirates)
MMIX
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We all gave our maximum today but it was not good enough and we now have to try our luck again another time 
