Salah seals Egypt’s victory against holders Ivory Coast to reach CAN 2025 semi-finals | Africa Cup of Nations News

Egypt set up a semi-final encounter with Senegal at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations by beating Ivory Coast 3-2 in a thriller.

Mohamed Salah scored and Egypt eliminated defending champions Ivory Coast to advance to the semi-finals of the 2025 CAF Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 victory.

Liverpool striker Salah scored his fourth goal of the tournament – ​​Egypt’s third of the match – in the 52nd minute of Saturday’s encounter, and the Pharaohs needed it as Ivory Coast twice threatened to come back from two goals down.

Egypt, however, held on in Agadir despite relentless pressure from Ivory Coast and booked a semi-final against 2021 champions Senegal in Tangier on Wednesday.

Ivory Coast got off to a dismal start, as Franck Kessie lost the ball in midfield after a poor touch and Odilon Kossounou fell instead of cutting Emam Ashour’s ball for Omar Marmoush, who scored in the fourth minute.

Ramy Rabia made a brilliant block to maintain the lead, then scored with a header from a corner in the 32nd minute.

Ivory Coast finally managed to come back five minutes before the break, when Ahmed Abou El Fotouh scored a dangerous free kick from Yan Diomande, from which Kossounou headed home.

Salah restored Egypt’s two-goal lead early in the second half, when Rabia caught the Ivorian defense with a long ball to Ashour, who served Salah with the outside of his boot.

Guela Doué pulled back another with his heel during a scrum in goal, after goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy collected the ball in the 73rd, but the equalizer never came.

Egypt is vying for a record eighth AFCON title.

Earlier, three-time champions Nigeria, who lost the final to Ivory Coast in the last edition, beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a semi-final meeting with Morocco.

The Super Eagles are trying to win the title for the first time since 2013.

This would help make up for the disappointment of failing to qualify for the World Cup, unlike the team they beat in the quarter-final, Algeria.