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Egypt's World Cup-clinching goal had handicapped fans performing acrobatics and old men crying tears of joy

henry bushnell
Senior reporter
Egypt fans celebrate in Cairo after their national team qualified for the World Cup. (Getty)
Egypt fans celebrate in Cairo after their national team qualified for the World Cup. (Getty)

Egypt, for the first time since 1990, is heading back to the World Cup. And it clinched qualification on Sunday in the most dramatic of fashions.

Celebrations had been quelled when the Pharaohs conceded an 87th-minute equalizer to the Republic of Congo. But Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah secured a win, and a World Cup berth, with a penalty deep into stoppage time.

Cue the pandemonium:

Salah’s goal kicked of a night of bedlam and partying across the country. Here was the scene in Cairo:

But some of the best reactions came in the immediate aftermath of the winner. Multiple videos and pictures show handicapped fans eschewing wheelchairs and jumping for joy … or performing gymnastics on crutches:

The single best reaction, though, might have come from this old man watching on TV in his pajamas:

Here are some more videos and pictures that capture the country’s jubilation: