Egypt 3-2 Ivory Coast: Mohamed Salah nets winner as Pharaohs dump holders out of AFCON 2025 | OneFootball

Pharaohs continue their good record against Elephants

Egypt are into the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after they came out on top in a thrilling quarter-final against the Ivory Coast.

Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush was also on target, opening the scoring for Hossam Hassan’s side inside the first four minutes at the Stade Adrar in Agadir.

In a hotly-anticipated encounter, it was Egypt, who have now bettered their 2023 tournament by two rounds, who started the brighter, seizing upon some nervy Ivorian defending to snatch the lead through Marmoush’s composed finish, after he had been sent through by Emam Ashour.

It was two just after the half-hour when Ramy Rabia rose highest at the far post to redirect Salah’s corner back from whence it came, with the looping effort dropping into the corner beyond Yahia Fofana.

That second goal came as a hammer blow for the Emerse Fae’s defending champions, who had grown in confidence after their initial setback.

Ahmed Fatouh put through his own net five minutes before the break to halve the deficit from Yan Diomande’s whipped free kick, and suddenly the pendulum swung back in the Ivorians’ favour.

They emerged from the dressing room in the second half seemingly revitalised, but that renewed hope was quickly quashed when Salah popped up at the far post to knock in a third after some lovely interplay down the left, with Rabia clipping a ball over the top for Ashour to chase into the channel, before the attacking midfielder laid a sumptuous, outside-of-the-boot delivery on a plate for Salah to slot home.

Guela Doue forced home from a corner with 17 minutes left to play after Ibrahim Sangare had ghosted in around the back, but that was all the Ivory Coast could muster, as their title defence continued to wilt.

Egypt clung on, and will now take on Senegal, who defeated Mali in their quarter-final on Friday, in the last four.