Salah Leads Egypt to Victory Against Ivory Coast in AFCON 2025 Quarterfinals

Egypt's Victory in the Quarterfinals

Mohamed Salah scored as Egypt eliminated the defending champions, Ivory Coast, to advance to the semifinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win. The Liverpool forward netted his fourth goal of the tournament in the 52nd minute, a crucial moment as Ivory Coast threatened to bounce back after trailing by two goals on two occasions.

Despite continuous pressure from Ivory Coast, Egypt managed to withstand the onslaught and secured a semifinal clash against Senegal, the champions from 2021, in Tangier on Wednesday. Ivory Coast started poorly, with Franck Kessie losing the ball in midfield following a weak challenge, which allowed Omar Marmoush to open the scoring in the fourth minute. In the 32nd minute, Ramy Rabia doubled Egypt's lead with a header from a corner kick.

Ivory Coast reduced the deficit five minutes before the break when Ahmed Abou El Fotouh scored from a free-kick by Yan Diomande. Salah restored the two-goal advantage at the start of the second half, but Guela Doue later found the net for Ivory Coast; however, they could not equalize.

Egypt aims to win their eighth AFCON title, a record in the competition. On the other side, Nigeria, a three-time winner, defeated Algeria 2-0 and will face Morocco in the semifinals, seeking to clinch the title for the first time since 2013.