Egypt head coach Rui Vitoria has indicated that he will not rush into any decisions regarding his future with the national team following their elimination from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations tournament at the hands of DR Congo.
Vitoria stated, "My future with the national team? This is not the time for hasty decisions. I will take my time before making any decision."
The game saw DR Congo take the lead in the 37th minute through Meschack Elia, who headed home from the six-yard box. Egypt responded with a penalty conversion by Mostafa Mohamed after a VAR review, which tied the game at 1-1.
Despite their second-half dominance, Egypt could not break down the resilient DR Congo defence, leading to extra time. The game remained deadlocked at 1-1, resulting in a penalty shootout. Unfortunately for Egypt, they missed twice from the spot, with Mostafa Mohamed and goalkeeper Gabaski failing to convert their kicks. DR Congo, on the other hand, successfully converted eight penalties, with Arthur Masuaku missing his attempt.
DR Congo advanced to the quarter-finals with an 8-7 victory on penalties, while Egypt's hopes of winning the trophy for the eighth time ended.
Vitoria expressed disappointment over the loss but acknowledged that his team had given their all.
"It wasn't what we expected. We came up against a tough opponent. Each team has its strong and weak moments. We're very sad. We worked hard to go far in the competition. Then there was the penalty shoot-out and that wasn't our day. In football, there are good times and bad times. Part of the responsibility is mine. We're going to keep working with this team as long as I am here," he said.