The Egyptian football team was defeated by its French counterpart during the semi-final at the onging Paris Olympic Games on Monday, dashing the hope of the football fans at home who were wishing for a historical breakthrough in the world's most popular sport.
African countries lost both men's football semi-finals. First, Morocco let a lead slip against Spain. Then, the host France took out Egypt in extra time. It was heartache for football fans in Cairo. What appeared to be a strong Egyptian grip over the match collapsed just eight minutes before the main-time ended, when the Pharaohs lost their 1-0 lead. France scored an equalizer that pushed the game into extra time. Egyptian fans were devastated when the team's top defender Omar Fayed got a red card, just a few minutes into the first extra time. The North African team no longer posed any threat to the hosts. France easily took the lead and then sealed its victory with a third goal. "For a moment I hoped for the gold medal. I see the players playing well together. With every match they play they become stronger. They have a very good coach who won gold medal before. I think they can win bronze and make Egypt proud," said Mohamed Shedeed, an Egyptian football fan. "Watching the first and second matches, no one thought we would reach this far in the competition. I am very sad because we could have won this match against France after we scored. Our focus shifted to defense," said Hamada Seyam, an Egyptian football coach. Egypt will be playing against Morocco for third place on Thursday. So the bronze medal is definitely African. But Egypt and Morocco will also be clashing for the honor of being the first Arab team to win an Olympic medal in football.
Egyptian football fans disillusioned by Olympic football semi-final defeat
Authorities in Shanghai and neighboring eastern provinces have taken tight measures to suspend public activities as Typhoon Bebinca, the 13th this year, landed in the coastal regions on Monday morning.
The most powerful typhoon hitting Shanghai since 1949, Typhoon Bebinca made landfall in Shanghai at around 07:30 on Monday, bringing about 50 millimeters of rainfall by 08:00.
On Monday morning, a hydrological station near the Huangpu River reported that the water level had risen to 4.5 meters, nearing the height of the dyke.
The usually bustling riverbank now stands empty, with only one police vehicle on standby to monitor water levels and address emergencies.
In response to the severe weather, the city's two airports, the Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Hongqiao Airport, have canceled all flights from 20:00 on Sunday until 14:00 on Monday, with over 900 flights called off and the flight resumption remaining pending.
Additionally, all ferry services, highways and parks have been closed for safety concerns.
Coinciding with the three-day Mid-Autumn Festival starting from Sunday, the Shanghai municipal government has ordered the cancellation of all outdoor festive activities and the shutdown of illuminated attractions.
Uprooted trees are seen along roadsides, and municipal workers have been busy with clearing operations since early Monday morning.
According to the municipal meteorological observatory, the typhoon is estimated to last for 12 hours, with its impact on the metropolis likely to diminish on Tuesday.
In Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, the municipal government elevated the emergency response to Level-1 on Sunday night, marking a rare occurrence for the city.
The city has mobilized a total of 30,000 municipal workers, including electricians and police officers, to be on call in case of any emergency.
Plus, all public bus and food delivery services have been ordered to halt operations. Similarly, construction work citywide have been asked to suspend, with workers evacuated to local gyms for shelter.
Public activities suspended in Shanghai, Jiangsu amid Typhoon Bebinca
