Egypt Reaches AFCON Semi-Finals After Thrilling 3-2 Victory Over Côte d’Ivoire
Egypt has secured a coveted spot in the semi-finals of the 2025 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, defeating defending champions Côte d’Ivoire 3-2 in a captivating quarter-final clash. The Pharaohs will now face Senegal’s Lions of Teranga on Wednesday in Tangier,while Morocco and Nigeria will compete in the other semi-final match-up.
Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Salah (who also earned the TotalEnergies Man of the Match award) propelled Egypt to victory, while an own goal from A.Fatou and a late strike from Guéla doué kept the Elephants fighting until the final whistle.
Early Dominance and egyptian precision
The game ignited quickly, with Omar Marmoush opening the scoring in just the 4th minute. Assisted by Emam Ashour, the Manchester City forward capitalized on a decisive run to beat the Ivorian goalkeeper. Despite the early setback, Côte d’Ivoire quickly asserted control, launching a sustained offensive push. However, the Egyptian defense, anchored by El Shenawy, proved resilient, effectively weathering the storm of crosses from diallo and Diomandé and challenges from Guessand.
Against the run of play, Ramy Rabia extended egypt’s lead in the 32nd minute, powerfully heading home a corner delivered by Salah. the ivorians, however, refused to yield. A stroke of misfortune saw Yan Diomandé’s effort deflected into the egyptian net by Fatouh in the 40th minute, narrowing the gap and injecting renewed hope into the defending champions.
Salah Shines as Egypt Extends Lead
The second half saw Côte d’Ivoire continue to press, but Egypt struck again with clinical precision.Mohamed Salah, expertly served by Ashour, unleashed a low shot in the 47th minute, finding the back of the net for his fourth goal of the tournament and extending Egypt’s advantage to 3-1.
Despite falling behind, Émerse Faé’s side continued to battle, and Guéla Doué managed to reduce the deficit in the 73rd minute following a chaotic scramble in the Egyptian penalty area, setting up a tense final period.
A Fortress Defense Secures Victory
The closing minutes were a relentless barrage of attacks from Côte d’Ivoire, with corners, crosses, and aerial duels dominating the play. However, the Egyptian defense, transformed into a “red fortress,” held firm, with el Shenawy expertly managing the pressure and even receiving a warning for time-wasting. ultimately, Egypt’s unwavering resilience secured a hard-fought victory.
“I am very happy and proud to play with these guys,” stated the totalenergies Man of the Match, Mohamed Salah. “We always want to bring joy to the Egyptian fans, and we believe we can win every match with this mindset. It was a arduous match. The Ivorians won the AFCON last time at home. They played like champions today as well. But we gave everything, and I’m happy we managed to qualify.”
Côte d’Ivoire’s coach, Émerse Faé, expressed frustration with the result, acknowledging his team’s costly mistakes.”We are frustrated by tonight’s result. We had prepared our players to face this Egyptian team, but we made far too many mistakes at key moments in the match to hope to eliminate them.” he added that the team would now focus on preparing for the World Cup.
Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, praised his team’s preparation and determination. “As we arrived, I’ve always said that every match is like a final for us. Our preparation made the difference. We knew they were the reigning champions.We respected them and put a game plan in place, which worked today.”
Dominated in possession but brutally efficient in execution, Egypt continues its pursuit of a record-extending eighth Africa Cup of Nations title, staying true to its reputation as a dominant force in African football.
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