Egypt Beats Ivory Coast 3-2 in AFCON Thriller, Sets Up Semi-Final vs Senegal
Egypt eliminated defending champions Ivory Coast 3-2 in a dramatic Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final on Saturday at Grand Stadium in Agadir. Mohamed Salah scored as the Pharaohs stormed to a 3-0 lead before the Elephants fought back to set up a tense finish.
Omar Marmoush opened scoring after just three minutes, Ramy Rabia headed in from a Salah corner on 32 minutes, and Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh's own goal on 40 minutes gave Ivory Coast their first goal. Salah restored Egypt's two-goal advantage seven minutes after half-time before Guela Doue pulled another back for Ivory Coast in the 73rd minute.
Egypt will face Senegal on Wednesday in Tangiers for a place in the final. The winners will meet hosts Morocco or Nigeria four days later in the championship match. This marks the eighth consecutive time defending champions have failed to retain the title since Egypt achieved the feat in 2010.
The victory extended Egypt's dominance over Ivory Coast, having won 11 of their 12 meetings since they first played 56 years ago. For Salah, the win brings him closer to his long-time dream of winning his first AFCON medal. The 33-year-old Liverpool star has twice been a runner-up—in 2017 against Cameroon and 2022 against Senegal—and now has two more matches to secure the most prized African medal that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career.