When it's been 28 years since your last appearance at the biggest tournament in the world, clinching a spot means one thing: Party time! So it was that, after Mohamed Salah's 95th-minute penalty sealed Egypt's qualification for Russia 2018, the celebrations began in the dressing room and across the country. The Pharaohs are seven-time African champions and have won their continental tournament four times since last playing at a World Cup. Back then, at Italia '90, they failed to advance beyond a group that also featured England, Netherlands and Republic of Ireland. Therefore, after such a long wait, no wonder there was such an outpouring of joy and, most likely, relief.
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