Salah and Marmoush lead Egypt to oust Ivory Coast from the African Cup of Nations

Egypt overthrew Ivory Coast, the defending champion, in the quarter-finals of the African Cup of Nations held in Morocco today, Saturday, with a thrilling 3-2 victory in a match in which Mohamed Salah, the Liverpool star, continued to write history, and Imam Ashour excelled by making two goals before exiting near the end, during which Ramy Rabia scored a wonderful headed goal while the “Pharaohs” continued to suffer from set pieces.

Manchester City winger Marmoush opened the scoring for Egypt with its first attack in the match four minutes later, after Hamdi Fathi extracted the ball from Ivory Coast captain Franck Kessie in the middle of the field, reaching Imam Ashour and passing it to Marmoush, who penetrated and shot a ball from inside the area to the left of the goalkeeper.

In the seventh minute, Ivory Coast striker Amad Diallo passed Ahmed Fattouh and passed a dangerous cross ball that Rami Rabia converted for a corner.

After another three minutes, the Egyptian national team called for a penalty kick in their favor after Marmoush fell in the area, but the referee said that he was in an offside position before that.

In the 17th minute, Egypt’s defense prevented Diallo from scoring from close range before Kessie shot the rebound just wide of the goal.

Hossam Abdel Majeed almost doubled the score in the 21st minute with a header from close range that went over the crossbar after an incorrect exit by the goalkeeper.

Ivan Gissan responded with a header from inside the area that went wide in the 23rd minute. In the 30th minute, the referee awarded a free kick for Ivory Coast after a handball on Fattouh, carried out by Yann Diomande with a cross into the area, which Gissan met with a header that was caught by Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy.

Rabia added the second goal in the 32nd minute with a wonderful header, taking advantage of a corner kick executed by Mohamed Salah from the right side.

Ivory Coast reduced the score in the 40th minute with friendly fire after a free kick from the left side near the corner flag, executed by Diomande with a cross ball inside the penalty area, played by Odilon Kosounou with a back header. Fattouh tried to clear it but accidentally put it into his own net.

In the 43rd minute, a free kick went in favor of Egypt from the left side after Marmoush was obstructed by the City winger, with a cross ball into the area, but the defense dispersed it.

The Ivory Coast national team pressed at the beginning of the second half to equalize, but it was Salah who scored the third goal in the 52nd minute with a shot from inside the area after a perfect ground cross from Ashour.

Salah is now one goal away from equaling Hassan El Chadly’s record (12 goals) as Egypt’s top scorer in the Nations Cup. He also equaled his coach, Hossam Hassan, in second place on this list, with 11 goals.

Salah also reached his 65th goal with the Egyptian national team in all competitions, and is three goals away from equaling the record of his coach Hassan, the historical top scorer for the Egyptian national team.

Thus, Salah has scored 11 goals against 11 different teams in Africa, making him the most player who has scored against different countries in the history of the tournament.

After an hour of play, Salah executed a corner kick from the right side, which was dispersed by the defense outside the penalty area and went to Marwan Attia, who shot it, but it hit the defense.

Immediately after, Mohamed Hani shot a ball from inside the area, but the Ivory Coast goalkeeper blocked it, and Marmoush tried to complete it before the goalkeeper sent it away for a corner.

Two minutes later, the Egyptian national team called for Christ Olay to be expelled for attacking Marmoush without the ball, but the referee ordered the game to continue.

Gila Dowie scored the second goal for Ivory Coast in the 73rd minute with a backheel shot from close range after a corner kick from the right side that Diallo executed with a cross ball into the area amid defensive confusion. El-Shenawy initially blocked the ball, but Dowie followed it into the net.
Egypt will meet Senegal in the semi-final.