Egyptian football fans were overjoyed on Saturday as Liverpool were crowned European champions after winning 2-0 against their English counterparts Tottenham Hotspur. Coming in as favourites, the Reds sealed the win and their sixth European Cup in a grinding game after Divock Origi fired home the team's second goal in the 87th minute. Those gathered erupted with joy in unison after Mohamed Salah converted a penalty to open the scoring as early as the second minute. "I'm happy that Salah won because he's our son" said Seif Hegi, 21, a university student from Cairo. "The match was like a typical Premier League game, that was highly defensive...but it's a huge feat because no other Egyptian footballer has achieved this before," he told AFP surrounded by throngs of boisterous fans in a bustling cafe.

"This is a positive development for Egyptian soccer," he added. In a busy laneway in an upmarket suburb packed with cafes and cacophonous cries from ardent Liverpool fans, some 400 Egyptians cheered loudly with every touch of the ball for national icon Salah. He is due to represent the North African heavyweights in the Africa Cup of Nations later this month. The slow moving match with a few chances picked up momentum in the last 20 minutes with more attempts at goal for both teams. One of the few Spurs supporters in the Reds-dominated crowd Antoine Philip, 25, who works in an insurance company, was critical of the referee's performance. "That penalty was not right in the first minute. He should have gone to the VAR. Liverpool were undeserving but it's good progress for Tottenham to get this far," he said.