Mohamed Salah scored and provided an assist as Egypt withstood the Ivorian wave to snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory in a thrilling quarter-final, where the Pharaohs’ efficiency made the difference against the territorial dominance of the Elephants.

In the 4th minute, Omar Marmoush set the tone. Served by Emam Ashour, the Manchester City forward made a decisive run and beat the Ivorian goalkeeper to open the scoring. Ivory Coast quickly took control of the ball, laying siege around the Egyptian penalty area. Diallo and Diomandé delivered multiple crosses, Guessand pushed to unlock the Pharaoh’s backline, but El Shenawy and his defense bent without breaking.

Against the run of play, Ramy Rabia doubled the lead in the 32nd minute with a perfectly placed header from a Salah corner (2-0).

Far from being demoralized, the Ivorians were finally rewarded when Yan Diomandé forced Fatouh into an own goal (40’), completely reopening the match five minutes before the pause.

After the break, Ivory Coast resumed with the same intensity, but it was again Egypt who struck. On the first real chance of the second half, Mohamed Salah, perfectly served by Ashour, fired a low shot to score his fourth goal of the tournament (47’, 3-1).

Émerse Faé’s men did not give up. Kessié, Fofana, and Diallo pressed, until Guéla Doué reduced the deficit in the 73rd minute after a chaotic situation in the box (3-2).

The final minutes saw Cote D’Ivoire laying siege. Corners, crosses, and aerial balls rained down on the Pharaohs’ area, transformed into a red fortress. El Shenawy, warned for time-wasting, and his defense held firm until the final whistle.

Dominated but brutally efficient, Egypt ousts Cote D’Ivoire and continue their journey, staying true to their reputation as the record side in the competition.

Post-match Reactions:

Mohamed Salah, TotalEnergies Man of the Match : “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.

It was a difficult 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.

I always give my all for my team. I try to bring my experience to help us achieve great things. I always tell my teammates to give everything as soon as they step on the pitch. It’s very important to do that so we have no regrets.”

Émerse Fae, Côte d’Ivoire’s coach : “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.

What hurts most tonight are those mistakes. It took us some time to get into the match. I regret conceding the first goal so early, as well as the second. We reacted well by coming back to 2-1 before halftime. But the third goal put us in trouble. It’s hard to explain these lapses in concentration.

We will continue to work to prepare for the World Cup.”

Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s coach : “Since we arrived, I’ve always said that every match is like a final for us. That’s how we approach every game. Every match is different, and we adapt to each opponent.

I’m very happy about our qualification. The players gave everything, and I’m proud of them.

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. It’s true we also made mistakes in the match that cost us two goals, but we scored three. However, we will correct these shortcomings for the next matches.” (CAFonline)

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