Senegal, with fans wielding laser pointers, knocks Egypt and Mohamed Salah out of World Cup

Mohamed Salah and Egypt, dogged by a talented Senegal team and passionate fans wielding laser pointers for 120 minutes, lost a penalty shootout Tuesday and failed to qualify for the 2022 men's World Cup.

In the second leg of a do-or-die playoff, Salah missed a penalty shot. Minutes later, his Liverpool teammate, Sadio Mane, scored to send Senegal to soccer's biggest stage.

The Senegalese had scored via a 4th-minute own goal, equalizing their own 4th-minute own goal in last week's first leg in Cairo. Some 50,000 fans in Dakar went mad.

Several excellent saves from Egyptian keeper Mohamed El Shenawy kept the matchup tied 1-1 on aggregate through 90 minutes, and then throughout a 30-minute extra-time period. Egyptian players, outclassed by the African champions, regularly writhed on the turf, wasting time and hoping to reach penalties, where talent gaps are neutralized and randomness reigns.

The penalty shootout, though, magnified an issue that had arisen throughout the game — and isn't uncommon in international soccer. Dozens of Senegalese fans had seemingly snuck laser pointers into the Stade Abdoulaye Wade, and aimed them at Egyptian players whenever possible.

Both teams missed their first two penalties in the shootout. Salah, with bright green lasers dancing all over his face, sailed his shot over the crossbar. Zizo missed as well.

Watford winger Ismaila Sarr finally scored for Senegal with the fifth kick of the shootout, and his team's third. Chelsea's Edouard Mendy then saved Egypt's fourth penalty, and Mane rifled his straight down the middle to send Senegal to Qatar.

Egypt, which qualified in 2018 for the first time in decades, is out. Salah was escorted off the field in shock, with one member of his entourage shielding his face. Egypt will reportedly file a complaint to FIFA over the laser pointers.

FIFA, soccer's global governing body, prohibits laser pointers, and "any item that could distract the players and/or officials," in its stadium safety and security regulations. Those regulations direct the hosts of matches to carry out security checks to ensure that, among other things, fans are "not in possession of any other dangerous objects that may not, for legal reasons, be taken into the stadium, including aggressive or racist banners and laser pointers."

World Cup qualifiers are managed by FIFA's six confederations — in this case, the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) — and not by FIFA itself, but the regulations state that they apply to qualifiers, and should serve as "guidelines" for "for all international matches."

Laser pointers, though, can be difficult to identify at security checkpoints. Some Egyptian fans wielded them during the first leg as well.

FIFA and CAF did not immediately respond to questions about how the laser pointers were allowed into the stadiums, and about potential discipline. FIFA's disciplinary code states that national soccer federations "are liable for inappropriate behavior on the part of one or more of their supporters," including "the use of laser pointers or similar electronic devices," and "may be subject to disciplinary measures and directives even if they can prove the absence of any negligence."

In the past, federations have been fined for fans' use of laser pointers. El Salvador, for example, was fined 12,500 Swiss Francs ($13,431) for a lack of "order and security [throwing of objects, use of laser pointers]" at its World Cup qualifier against Mexico in October. Senegal's federation will likely be fined as well.

It will be a small price to pay for a place at the World Cup, which begins in November.

Elsewhere in World Cup qualifying finales on Tuesday, Ghana stunned Nigeria, and eliminated the Super Eagles. In the three other African playoffs, Tunisia beat Mali; Morocco beat the Democratic Republic of Congo; Algeria and Cameroon are in extra time.

In the European playoffs, Portugal and Poland clinched spots with victories over North Macedonia and Sweden, respectively.