RABAT, Morocco — Mohamed Salah scored and Egypt eliminated defending champion Ivory Coast to move into the Africa Cup of Nations semifinals after a 3-2 victory on Saturday.
Salah nabbed his fourth goal of the tournament — Egypt’s third of the game — in the 52nd minute and the Pharaohs needed it as Ivory Coast threatened to come back twice from two goals down.
But Egypt held on in Agadir despite relentless Ivorian pressure and booked a semifinal date with 2021 champion Senegal in Tangier on Wednesday.
“We just fight for our country and hopefully we go through the next game as well,” Salah said. “It’s (a) tough opponent, of course, and we give our best.”
Ivory Coast had a woeful start as Franck Kessie lost the ball in midfield after a poor touch and Odilon Kossounou fell over instead of cutting out Emam Ashour’s ball for Omar Marmoush, who scored in the fourth minute.
Ramy Rabia produced a brilliant block to preserve the lead then scored himself with a header from a corner in the 32nd.
Ivory Coast finally pulled one back in the 40th when Egypt defender Ahmed Fotouh bundled in a dangerous Yan Diomande free kick that Kossounou headed on.
Salah restored Egypt’s two-goal cushion early in the second half when Rabia caught the Ivorian defense out with a long ball for Ashour, who set up Salah with the outside of his boot.
Guéla Doué pulled one back again with his heel in a goalmouth scramble after goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy clawed the ball away in the 73rd, but the Elephants’ equalizer never came.
Egypt is bidding for a record-extending eighth title.
