Egypt‘s quest for a record-extending eighth Africa Cup of Nations title continued Sunday with a hard-fought 3-2 quarterfinal victory over defending champions Ivory Coast in Agadir, Morocco. The win, propelled by a goal from captain Mohamed Salah, sends the Pharaohs to a semifinal matchup against Senegal [[1]]. The tightly contested match at Adrar Stadium saw several lead changes before Egypt ultimately secured their place in the tournament’s final stages.
Agadir –
Egypt advanced to the semifinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a thrilling 3-2 victory over defending champions Ivory Coast in the quarterfinal round. Mohamed Salah found the back of the net in the win, leading the Pharaohs one step closer to continental glory.
The match, played at Adrar Stadium on Sunday, January 11, 2026, saw Egypt take an early lead in just the 4th minute. Omar Marmoush skillfully collected the ball just outside the Ivory Coast penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot that goalkeeper Yahia Fofana couldn’t keep out.
Egypt doubled their advantage in the 32nd minute when Ramy Rabia headed home a corner kick delivered by Salah, once again beating Fofana and extending the lead to 2-0.
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Ivory Coast pulled one back in the 40th minute, but in unfortunate fashion. Ahmed Fatouh attempted to clear a cross, instead inadvertently heading the ball past his own goalkeeper. The score remained 2-1 as the teams headed into halftime.
Salah restored Egypt’s two-goal cushion in the 52nd minute, capitalizing on a cross from Emam Ashour to slot the ball past Fofana on the left side of the net. The goal marked another crucial contribution from the Liverpool star.
Ivory Coast refused to go quietly, reducing the deficit once more in the 73rd minute. Guela Doue scored during a scramble following a corner kick, making it 3-2 and setting up a tense finish.
Despite a late push from Ivory Coast, Egypt held on to secure the 3-2 victory. They will now face Senegal in the semifinals on Thursday, January 15th at 12:00 AM WIB.
“This was a perfect game for us because we managed to win. Senegal will be a tough opponent, but we will give our best,” Salah said after the match, as quoted by BBC.
“We fought hard and, as you can see, no one hindered the team. I saw that also from the players and the manager. We just have to continue this, give our best and we’ll see what happens,” Salah added.
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