By Edi Umoh
Mohamed Salah scored his fourth goal of the Africa Cup of Nations as Egypt defeated defending champions Ivory Coast 3-2 in Agadir to set up a semifinal against Sadio Mane’s Senegal on Wednesday.
The Pharaohs, looking to win the title for the first time since 2010, took an early lead through Omar Marmoush before doubling their advantage just after the half-hour mark when Rami Rabia met a Salah corner at the backpost to head home.
Ahmed Abou El Fotouh’s own goal just before half time gave Ivory Coast a route back into the contest, but Salah’s prodded effort on 52 minutes restored Egypt’s two-goal cushion before Guela Doue’s instinctive heel-flick 17 minutes from time gave the Elephants hope of recovery.
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They were unable to grab the equaliser, ending their title defence after five matches, while Egypt progress to face Senegal in a rematch of the 2019 final as Salah and long-term Liverpool teammate Sadio Mane will again cross paths, this time in Tanger, on January 14.
Marmoush curled home a fine right-footed effort in the fourth minute to give Egypt the early advance, with Hamdy Fathy robbing Franck Kessie in midfield, before finding the inventive Emam Ashour.
He fed the lively Marmoush, racing in ahead of the careless Odilon Kossounou, who lost his footing as he attempted a sleepy clearance, before finishing calmly beyond Yahia Fofana.
With Ivory Coast clearly unsettled by their poor start, Marmoush nearly forced a penalty when he was brought down in the box, only for the Ivorians to be saved by the offside flag as a compelling first half began to take shape.
However, there was to be no reprieve on 32 minutes when Doue’s attempted header back to Fofana, under pressure from Marmoush, went out of play, and Salah’s fine delivery from the corner met the towering Rabia to head Egypt 2-0 ahead.
The Ivory Coast, lacking the composure and dynamism that characterised their early performances at this tournament, reduced the deficit in the 40th minute when Ashour brought down Yan Diomande, with the wonderkid dusting himself off to send in a fine freekick which Kossounou met with a flicked header at the near post.
His attempt appeared to be goal-bound, but El Fotouh, advancing back towards his own goal, deflected the ball past Mohamed El Shenawy to make sure.
Ivorian hopes of building on their momentum after the break were dashed seven minutes after the restart as Salah struck again, this time on the encounter. Timing his run excellently to meet Ashour’s magnificent outside-of-the-boot through ball, he held off Ghislain Konan before touching the ball across Fofana’s goal and into the net.
The game became increasingly stop-start amidst a swathe of niggly fouls as Egypt looked to slow things down and the Ivory Coast struggled to reassert themselves, with Emerse Fae turning to Paris FC forward Jean-Philippe Krasso with 20 to go, sacrificing Kessie, as his side looked to find a way back into the match.
Their intended comeback began in the 73rd minute when Doue flicked beyond El Shenawy with his heel as the Egyptians failed to clear their lines from a corner. Krasso headed the ball back across the goalmouth, and while El Shenawy was able to deny Ibrahim Sangare, Doue reacted quickest to flick the ball home with his back to goal.
After this, Egypt battened down the hatches, taking every opportunity to stymie the Ivorians, seek medical treatment, waste time, and kill the contest’s energy, while contenting themselves with their one-goal advantage.
Fae turned to Vakoun Bayo, who did send a header straight at El Shenawy, although there was to be no final twist to this thriller in Agadir, as the reigning champions fall and Salah’s dreams of finally getting on the Nations Cup gather steam.
