CAN 2025: Egypt vs Côte d'Ivoire, the most fiercely contested rivalry in history | OneFootball

Egypt vs Côte d'Ivoire, the most hotly contested fixture in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations

Egypt– Côte d’Ivoire/@Onze Mondial

By defeating Burkina Faso 3-0 on Tuesday night, Côte d'Ivoire secured their ticket to the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Now, they set up a showdown with Egypt in what has become a classic clash of the tournament.

Côte d'Ivoire will face a familiar foe: Egypt. This will be the 12th meeting between the two sides at the finals, making it the most frequently played fixture in the history of the competition. No other pairing has met more often since the inaugural edition in 1957.

The first encounter between these two nations at the AFCON dates back to 16 February 1970, in a third-place play-off won by the Pharaohs 3-1. Their most recent meeting was in the round of 16 at the 2021 tournament, where Egypt claimed victory on penalties (5-4).

Mohamed Salah and his teammates hold a psychological edge over their rivals, having won seven encounters, drawing three, and losing just once—a group stage defeat in 1990 by three goals to one.

It's worth recalling that Hossam Hassan's Egypt denied Didier Drogba's Côte d'Ivoire the title in the 2006 final, prevailing 4-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout.