Record Africa Cup of Nations Champions Egypt confirmed booked their spot in the Semifinal of the 2025 edition with a 3-2 victory over Ivory Coast at the Grand Stadium in Agadir on Saturday night while ending the defending champions’ hopes of a back-to-back crown.
The victory was a reminder of Egypt’s historical dominance over the Elephants, mirroring the heartbreak of the 2006 final where the Pharaohs triumphed on home soil.
By knocking out the holders, Egypt ensured that the curse of the defending champion continued, as Ivory Coast failed to become the first champion since 2010 to reach the final four.
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Hossam Hassan made a tactical shift for the quarter-final clash against the elephants deploying a compact 5-3-2 formation designed to stifle the Ivorian wings.
Hossam Abdelmaguid was drafted into the heart of the defense to provide extra physicality against the Elephants’ pacey frontline while Ahmed Fatouh replaced Mohamed Hamdy as Emam Ashour came in for Ibrahim Adel.
After their convincing 3-0 victory over Burkina Faso in the Round of 16, coach Emerse Faé opted for total consistency, trusting the exact same eleven players to face the Pharaohs.
Egypt knockout defending champions Ivory Coast
The breakthrough came early on in the opening half, in the 4th minute,following a swift transition, Emam Ashour found Marmoush in space, the forward cut inside his marker and unleashed a strike that flew past Yahia Fofana to give the Pharaohs a dream start.
Egypt doubled their lead in the 32nd minute when Mohamed Salah swung a corner into a crowded penalty area,Rami Rabia rose highest, connecting with a powerful header that directed the ball into the bottom corner, leaving Fofana with no chance to react.
The momentum shifted in the 41st minute. A dangerous Ivorian cross by Yan Diomande caused confusion in the box, leading to an Ahmed Fatouh own goal that gave the defending champions a lifeline just before halftime reducing the deficit to 2-1 at the break.
The second half saw Ivory Coast attempt to fight back, but their momentum was stalled in the 52nd minute.
Emam Ashour turned provider once again, threading a brilliant low pass to Mohamed Salah, who reacted quickest to slot the ball home from close range and restore the two-goal advantage.
Ivory Coast took advantage of a defensive lapse in the 73rd minute when Guela Doué, pushing forward from his defensive station, pounced on a loose ball inside the box and directed it into the net after a Fracas.
Egypt’s 3-2 victory marks their return to the semi-final and sets up a high-stakes clash against Senegal, while the run of the defending champions comes to an end.
By defeating Ivory Coast 3-2 in the 2025 quarter-finals, Egypt has reached their 14th semi-final in history and their third in the last five editions (2017, 2021, and 2025).
The Pharaohs will be hoping to break a 16-year wait for their eighth Africa Cup of Nations title as they made the historic three peat.
Egypt vs Ivory Coast AFCON 2025 Quarterfinal lineups
- Egypt: Mohamed El-Shenawy, Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Rami Rabia, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Ahmed Fatouh, Hamdy Fathy, Marwan Attia, Emam Ashour, Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Salah.
- Ivory Coast: Yahia Fofana, Guela Doué, Odilon Kossounou, Evan Ndicka, Ghislain Konan, Christ Inao Oulaï, Ibrahim Sangaré, Franck Kessié, Amad Diallo, Evann Guessand, Yan Diomande.