Salah Leads Egypt Past Defending Champs Into AFCON Semis

Mohamed Salah is two games away from the one trophy that's escaped his legendary career after Egypt defeated defending champions Ivory Coast 3-2 in a gripping AFCON quarter-final Saturday.

The 33-year-old Liverpool forward found the net in Agadir alongside teammates Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia, knocking out the title holders and setting up a Wednesday semifinal against Senegal. Victory there would put Egypt in Sunday's final against either hosts Morocco or Nigeria.

For all his silverware at Liverpool including the Premier League, Champions League, and FA Cup, Salah has fallen short twice in AFCON finals. He lost to Cameroon in 2017 and Senegal in 2022, plus suffered two unexpected early exits that stung just as badly.

Egypt started fast with Marmoush scoring just three minutes after kickoff when Ivory Coast lost possession. Manchester City's striker capitalized on a defensive slip to beat goalkeeper Yahia Fofana and give the Pharaohs an early advantage.

Rabia doubled the lead on 32 minutes, rising above defenders to meet a Salah corner with a looping header. Ivory Coast pulled one back before halftime through an own goal, but Salah restored the two-goal cushion seven minutes into the second half with a clinical finish from midfielder Emam Ashour's perfectly weighted cross.

Guela Doue's 73rd-minute goal for Ivory Coast set up a tense finish, but Egypt held firm. The victory extended Egypt's remarkable dominance over the Elephants, improving their head-to-head record to 11 wins against just one loss across 56 years of meetings.

Why This Inspires

Salah arrived at this tournament amid turmoil after being dropped to Liverpool's bench and publicly expressing frustration. Instead of letting off-field drama derail him, he's responded with match-winning performances against Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Benin in the group stage and knockout rounds.

His journey represents more than personal redemption. Egypt hasn't won AFCON since 2010, and no defending champion has successfully retained the title since then either, with Ivory Coast becoming the eighth straight titleholder to fall short.

Now the Pharaohs stand on the brink of a record-extending eighth AFCON crown. For Salah, it would complete a trophy cabinet that's missing only this one piece, the honor that would cement his legacy not just as a club legend but as an African football icon who delivered for his nation when it mattered most.