Mohamed Salah produced a historic performance as Egypt defeated defending champions Ivory Coast 3–2 to secure a place in the AFCON semi-finals, where they will face Senegal in a high-profile showdown.
The Liverpool forward scored Egypt’s third and decisive goal, ending Ivory Coast’s title defence and keeping the Pharaohs’ quest for an eighth Africa Cup of Nations trophy alive. With the strike, Salah became the first player in AFCON history to score against 11 different national teams, further cementing his legacy in the competition.
Egypt started the match at a relentless pace. Omar Marmoush opened the scoring early, before Ramy Rabia doubled the lead with a commanding header that put Ivory Coast under heavy pressure. The Elephants were handed a lifeline just before half-time when Ahmed Fatouh accidentally turned the ball into his own net, giving Ivory Coast renewed belief.
Any hopes of a full comeback were quickly dampened after the restart when Salah struck to restore Egypt’s two-goal advantage. Ivory Coast continued to push forward, and Guela Doué pulled one back late in the game to set up a tense finish. Despite sustained pressure and long spells of possession from Ivory Coast, Egypt remained disciplined and resolute to see out the victory.
After the match, Salah praised the determination and sacrifice of his teammates, stressing that the squad is driven by national pride rather than individual accolades. He acknowledged the difficulty of the challenge ahead, describing Senegal as a strong side filled with players competing at the highest level in Europe.
The goal also moved Salah level with head coach Hossam Hassan on 11 AFCON goals, leaving him just one goal short of matching Egypt’s all-time top scorer in the tournament, Hassan El-Shazly.
Looking ahead, Egypt will face Senegal in the semi-finals in a repeat of the 2021 AFCON final, with a place in the final at stake. As the tournament reaches its decisive stage, all eyes will be on Salah to see if he can inspire Egypt past another formidable opponent and closer to continental glory.
