Three weeks of African football in Egypt ended with the crown going to the home team. Nashwa Abdel-Tawab provides the highlights The Egyptian team was not the best in the Africa Cup of Nations but won when it counted most. Most was in the final against Cote d'Ivoire. Friday's game in Cairo Stadium finished goalless after extra time but Egypt eventually saw off Ivory Coast 4-2 on penalties to lift the cup for a record fifth time. Egypt but both sides had chances to win the game. Didier Drogba missed a sitter for the Ivory Coast, Amr Zaki had a goal ruled out for Egypt, and the Pharaohs' captain Ahmed Hassan missed a penalty during extra time. Egypt coach Hassan Shehata believed justice was done after his side . He claimed it should have all been over after 90 minutes. "The goal Zaki scored late in the normal time should have stood because there was nothing wrong with it and when we again lost the penalty in extra time, I was beginning to think it was not going to be our day," he said in a press conference. "Thank God we were luckier during the penalty shoot-out. We won the championship after a lot of effort and sweat and with support from the president (Hosni Mubarak), technical staff and players." "This great achievement is dedicated to the Egyptian fans who stood heartedly by the national team. God always rewards those who perfect what they do and we exerted huge efforts to win the championship until this dream came true." By lifting the trophy, Egypt become the first country to win it five times, having won it previously in 1957, 1959, 1986 and 1998. Runners-up and World Cup finalists Ivory Coast were a tough team that beat Cameroon and Nigeria en route to the final. Despite facing a hostile home crowd of 80,000 in Cairo International Stadium, the Ivorians stuck to the task at hand. Coach Henri Michel said missed chances cost his team the cup. The Frenchman was also upset with the penalty awarded to Egypt, a decision he branded as scandalous. "I am proud of my team because of everything they've done here. We can have a few regrets, though, because we had some clear chances in the second half and, at that stage, the Egyptians were, physically dead and I think if we'd scored the match would have been over." As for the shootout, he said, "One day things go your way, another they don't. But the thing we have to take away from this is the good run we've had at this tournament with this team... and it's just a shame we didn't win it. We went close but when you don't take your chances you get punished." Defender Kolo Toure, outstanding all tournament at the heart of the Ivorian defence, said their stay in Egypt would help them later this year in Germany at the World Cup. "With penalties, you have to have some luck and we weren't lucky today. That's the way football goes," he said, "We lost, but for me the most important thing is that we've got a really young team and we just want to improve. We went to the final this time and in two years' time (in Ghana) we hope we are going to win it. This was our first tournament together and it's going to help us play good football at the World Cup, definitely." Egypt's captain Hassan won Player of the Tournament and the hero of the final, Essam El-Hadari, won best goalkeeper when the 2006 MTN Africa Cup of Nations award winners were announced. Hassan, who won the cup with the team in 1998, scoring Egypt's second goal against South Africa, was an inspiration for the Pharaohs, scoring a high four goals and dominating the midfield. Hassan, one of five Egyptians to pass the 100 cap mark, plays for Besiktas in the Turkish league. It was his sixth Africa Cup of Nations. El-Hadari saved two penalties in the shoot-out in the final to get his side across the finish line. He allowed just three goals in six games. The tournament's 73 goals did not break the record of 93 goals in 32 games set in Burkina Faso 1998. Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o was top scorer with five goals. The record belongs to Mulumba Ndaye of Zaire who scored nine goals in 1974. Two superstars missed huge penalties that knocked their countries out of the tournament. Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba and Cameroon's and Africa's best player Samuel Eto'o missed penalty shootouts in the final and quarter-finals respectively. Besides the penalty mishaps was the unprecedented confrontation between Ahmed 'Mido' Hossam and Shehata after Shehata substituted the player in the semi-final against Senegal. The touchline row cost Mido a place in the final. He later apologised but he will be banned for six months by his country's FA. "I just wanted to play and be part of this great accomplishment," Mido told a local Egyptian television station. "Yes I made a mistake and yes I accept the punishment." "I want to apologise to all the fans and to my coach and I hope that nobody is still upset with me. I want people to focus on the team and to forget about me for now. We only have a few hours before the final and I am really worried about the team". However, in the Daily Express wrote before the game that Mido branded Shehata, the team and football association "amateurs". "In Egypt they are amateurs. The manager is an amateur, the team are amateurs, the association are amateurs," Mido was quoted as saying. "They think they know everything. People can call me an arrogant Premiership player. The fact is that I am a Premiership player and they are amateurs. "I have not spoken to Shehata since the incident. I don't care about him. He is a local guy. Before he was in charge of the national team, he managed a second division side. "I want to play for Egypt again, of course. But I don't regret what I did. "I was disappointed by the decision to ban me. I don't know why they took it. If they win tomorrow now they can say they took a good disciplinary decision. They will be heroes. "But if they lose it will be because of Mido, and the trouble he caused. That's how things go." Nigeria claimed the bronze medal for the third successive time with a 1- 0 win over Senegal. Garba Lawal grabbed the winner with just 10 minutes of the game remaining as he fired home a John Utaka cross. Even Jay- Jay Okocha in his final game for Nigeria failed to light up a dull game that was played at walking pace. Okocha failed to complete the game as he was replaced by Wilson Oruma midway through the second half. It was not the way the Super Eagles' skipper will have wanted his international career to end, but after winning 74 caps over 13 years, the midfield maestro makes way for the next generation. His career highlight was winning the Nations Cup in 1994 and he was named player of the 2004 tournament, during which he scored the 1,000th goal in the tournament's history. Okocha announced his international retirement whereas 39-year-old Hossam Hassan of Egypt announced no such plans. Nigerian teenage sensation John Obi Mikel enhanced his credentials even further by picking up the Young Player of the Tournament Award. There was one final award for Egypt. Essam Abdel-Fattah was awarded best referee.
