Mohamed Salah scored again as Egypt national football team defeated defending champions Ivory Coast national football team 3–2 in a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final in Agadir on Saturday.
Goals from Omar Marmoush, Ramy Rabia and Salah proved enough to send the Pharaohs through, despite a spirited fightback from the Elephants that kept the contest alive until the final whistle.
Egypt made a fast start, opening the scoring just three minutes into the match. Ivory Coast lost possession in midfield and Emam Ashour threaded a precise pass through to Marmoush, who took advantage of a slip by Odilon Kossounou to fire past goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.
The lead was doubled after 32 minutes when Rabia rose highest at the far post to meet a corner delivered by Salah, looping his header into the net and leaving the defending champions visibly shaken.
Ivory Coast pulled a goal back five minutes before half-time in unfortunate circumstances for Egypt. A floated free kick caused chaos in the six-yard box, and after Kossounou nodded the ball goalwards, it ricocheted off Egypt full-back Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh and into his own net.
Any momentum Ivory Coast gained was short-lived. Seven minutes after the restart, Salah restored Egypt’s two-goal cushion. Ashour again played a key role, winning the ball on the left and delivering a low, perfectly weighted cross that Salah guided home under pressure to make it 3–1.
Ivory Coast refused to surrender their crown quietly. With 17 minutes remaining, Guela Doue reduced the deficit after Egypt failed to clear a corner, flicking the ball past veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy to set up a tense finish.
Despite late pressure, Egypt held firm to continue their impressive dominance over Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations, a rivalry that now stretches back more than five decades.
The victory also ended Ivory Coast’s hopes of becoming the first team since Egypt in 2010 to successfully defend the AFCON title, extending a trend that has seen eight consecutive champions fail to retain the trophy.
For Salah, the win keeps alive his pursuit of a first Africa Cup of Nations title. The Liverpool forward has previously finished runner-up twice and endured early exits in past tournaments, but now stands just two matches away from lifting the continent’s most coveted prize.
Egypt will face Senegal national football team in the semi-finals on Wednesday in Tangier, with the winners advancing to the final against either hosts Morocco or Nigeria.
