Egypt knock out Ivory Coast in AFCON thriller

The Pharaohs end the Elephants’ title defence with a pulsating 3-2 victory in Agadir, booking a semi-final date with Senegal.

There was something almost poetic about it. Emerse Fae had warned his players all week. “Egypt absorbs pressure. They don’t control games. They disrupt you, and when they get a chance, they punish you.” He even admitted the 2006 final still haunted him—a shootout defeat he’d never quite shaken off. And yet, on a warm evening in Agadir, his Ivory Coast fell into the exact trap he’d described.

The defending champions are out. Egypt march on.

Marmoush silences the noise

Four minutes. That’s all it took for Egypt to rip up the script. Ivory Coast were caught dithering in midfield, Emam Ashour pounced, and suddenly Omar Marmoush was bearing down on goal with that familiar burst of acceleration. The Manchester City man steadied himself and drilled the ball low past Yahia Fofana.

The timing couldn’t have been better for Marmoush. Back in England, the rumour mill has been in overdrive—Tottenham sniffing around, Aston Villa reportedly matching any financial package, whispers of a potential January exit after limited game time under Pep Guardiola. According to Fabrizio Romano, the 26-year-old has no intention of leaving mid-season. “He wants to compete for his place,” the journalist reported earlier this week. A goal like this, on a stage like this, is the sort of statement that tends to refocus conversations.

Rabia doubles up, then disaster strikes

Egypt’s second came from a set-piece, the kind of routine delivery that somehow finds an unmarked head at the back post. Mohamed Salah floated in a corner from the right, Rami Rabia rose highest, and his looping header nestled into the far corner. At 2-0 after 32 minutes, the Elephants looked shellshocked.

But Fae’s side have shown resilience throughout this tournament. Five minutes before half-time, Yan Diomande’s whipped free-kick caused chaos in the Egyptian box. Ahmed Abou El Fotouh, attempting to clear, instead turned the ball into his own net. A cruel moment for the full-back, but suddenly Ivory Coast had oxygen.

Salah restores order

The second half was barely seven minutes old when Salah reminded everyone why he remains indispensable to this Egypt team. Ashour collected a lofted ball over the top, spotted the Liverpool captain darting into space, and slipped a pass into his path. Salah’s finish was ice-cold—first time, across Fofana, into the corner.

It was his 11th goal at the Africa Cup of Nations. According to Yahoo Sports, the strike means Salah has now scored against 11 different opponents in the competition’s history—more than any player before him. The records keep falling.

Hossam Hassan, Egypt’s coach and a man who knows something about AFCON glory (he lifted the trophy three times as a player), has spoken often about Salah’s hunger for continental success. “Mohamed Salah will remain an icon,” Hassan said before the tournament. “His morale is very high. He wants to win the Africa Cup of Nations. God willing, he and his teammates will do something special.”

Ivory Coast push, but it’s not enough

Credit to Fae’s men—they didn’t fold. Guela Doué pulled another goal back in the 73rd minute, reacting quickest after Mohamed El Shenawy had saved Ibrahim Sangaré’s header from an Amad Diallo corner. The Manchester United winger, who had been outstanding in the round of 16 against Burkina Faso, pushed and probed for an equaliser. El Shenawy made a string of saves. Egypt’s defensive discipline, so often their calling card, held firm.

Fae had said before kick-off that arriving “overconfident” against Egypt meant you had “no chance.” Perhaps his squad listened too late. The Elephants finished with 70% possession and 13 attempts on goal, generating 1.42 xG according to FotMob. Egypt, characteristically, were clinical with their chances and ruthless on the counter.

What it means

For Ivory Coast, a disappointing exit. They won the tournament on home soil in 2024 but have now failed to reach the semi-finals for the fifth time in their last seven AFCON appearances. The two exceptions? Both title-winning campaigns.

For Egypt, the dream continues. They face Senegal in the last four—a rematch of the 2021 final, which the Lions of Teranga won on penalties. Hossam Hassan’s squad have now bettered their 2023 campaign by two rounds and look every inch contenders for a record-extending eighth title. The Pharaohs haven’t lifted the trophy since 2010, but with Salah in this form and Marmoush providing firepower alongside him, this feels different.

“Football does not recognise history,” Hassan reminded reporters after the round of 16. “It recognises performance on the pitch.” On Saturday night in Agadir, Egypt’s performance was more than enough.