Egypt triumphs in AFCON semi-finals with Salah’s spectacular goal

Egypt booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semifinals after a thrilling 3-2 victory over defending champions Ivory Coast, led by a stellar performance from Mohamed Salah.

In a pulsating quarter-final clash, the seven-time champions of Africa overcame the two-time holders, with Salah playing a pivotal role. The Liverpool forward not only scored a crucial goal but also provided an assist, underlining his importance to the Pharaohs’ campaign.

The match, held on Saturday night at Agadir, Morocco, saw Egypt start aggressively from the first whistle. Within just four minutes, Omar Marmoush fired a brilliant strike to give the Pharaohs an early lead, setting the tone for a dominant first half.

At the 32nd minute, Ramy Rabia doubled the advantage, heading in Salah’s corner with clinical precision. In a bizarre twist, Ahmed Fathy inadvertently scored an own goal in the 40th minute while attempting to clear, temporarily reducing the deficit.

Early in the second half, Egypt restored their two-goal cushion. Salah, calmly finishing Imam Ashour’s precise pass, scored his fourth goal of the tournament, taking his overall AFCON tally to 11 goals.

Ivory Coast responded in the 73rd minute through Gueu Doyen, who capitalised on a scramble in the box to narrow the margin. Despite mounting pressure in the closing stages, the Elephants could not find an equaliser, and Egypt held on for a famous victory.

This triumph further cements Egypt’s dominance over Ivory Coast in AFCON encounters. In 12 tournament meetings, the Pharaohs have suffered just one defeat against their West African rivals.

Egypt will now face Senegal in the semifinals on Wednesday night. This rematch carries historical significance, as Egypt lost to Senegal in the 2021 AFCON final via a penalty shootout.

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With Salah in sensational form, Egypt now aim to reach their eighth AFCON final, seeking revenge and continental glory.