‎AFCON: Clinical Egypt edge Ivory Coast in five-goal thriller to set up Senegal showdown‎

Mohamed Salah delivered a captain’s performance as Egypt eliminated defending champions Côte d’Ivoire with a dramatic 3-2 victory to book their place in the semi-finals of the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations.
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‎The Pharaohs, who now face Senegal on Wednesday in Tangier, showed trademark efficiency to overcome long spells of Ivorian dominance in an entertaining quarter-final encounter.
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‎Egypt wasted no time asserting themselves. Just four minutes in, Omar Marmoush opened the scoring after being picked out by Emam Ashour, finishing confidently to give the Pharaohs an early lead. Ivory Coast responded by dominating possession and territory, piling pressure on Egypt’s backline through waves of crosses and probing attacks, but goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy and his defence stood firm.
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‎Despite being under pressure, Egypt struck again against the run of play. In the 32nd minute, Ramy Rabia rose highest to head home from a Mohamed Salah corner, doubling the advantage. The Elephants finally found a breakthrough five minutes before halftime when Yan Diomandé’s dangerous delivery forced Amr Fatouh into an own goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1 and reigniting the contest.
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‎Ivory Coast began the second half with renewed intensity, but once again Egypt proved ruthless. On their first clear chance after the restart, Salah finished low into the corner after another assist from Ashour, scoring his fourth goal of the tournament to restore a two-goal cushion.
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‎Émerse Faé’s side refused to surrender. Sustained pressure eventually paid off in the 73rd minute when Guéla Doué reduced the deficit to 3-2 following a scramble in the box. The final stages saw Côte d’Ivoire throw everything forward, with corners and crosses raining into the Egyptian area, but the Pharaohs defended resolutely to see out the win.
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‎Dominated for long spells but devastatingly efficient, Egypt once again lived up to their reputation as the competition’s most successful side, marching on to the last four. The other semi-final will see hosts Morocco take on Nigeria in Rabat.
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‎Speaking after the match, TotalEnergies Man of the Match Mohamed Salah praised his teammates’ spirit. “I am very happy and proud to play with these guys. We always want to bring joy to the Egyptian fans, and we believe we can win every match with this mindset,” he said. “It was a difficult match, but we gave everything.”
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‎Côte d’Ivoire coach Émerse Faé lamented costly mistakes, admitting his side struggled with lapses in concentration at key moments. Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan, meanwhile, hailed his players’ commitment, stressing that preparation and mentality were decisive as the Pharaohs continue their pursuit of another continental crown.