Egypt beat Côte d’Ivoire (0-0, 5 pens to 4) for the ninth time out of ten at the African Cup, Wednesday in Douala, the excellent Mohamed Salah transforming the shot on goal which sends his team to a quarter-final against Morocco.
Curse! For the third time out of three the “Elephants” have lost a penalty shootout against Egypt, after the 2006 final and the quarter-final in 1998.
The story was meant to end with a substitute goalkeeper hero. Either Mohamed Abou Gabal dit Gabaski, who replaced the injured Mohamed El Shenawy in the 88th minute, or Badra Ali Sangaré, established at the start of the tournament after Sylvain Gbohouo was suspended for doping control.
The Egyptian Gabaski picked up Eric Bailly’s too soft shot, and Salah was able to convert the tenth “peno”, after a spectacular meeting, with match points on both sides.
If the Reds star did everything, he sometimes seemed like a badly set jewel in his team, less well surrounded than in Liverpool, seeing his poorly exploited passes and poorly served calls.
A solo from Salah on the right side, where he takes on the entire Ivorian defense, was wasted by Amro El Soulia, who struck above (51st).
A little later, it was Mostafa Mohamed who spoiled the work of his captain, a oriented control of the chest, by measuring his share of the one-two badly (76th).
Salah played like a leader, until his tackle on Nicolas Pépé who spun against in the 120th minute.
Exit of Kessié on injury
Despite the absence of a goal, the two teams put on an exciting spectacle for the penultimate match on the damaged lawn of the Japoma stadium. CAF announced during the match that two matches of this stadium were moved to Amadou-Ahidjo, in Yaoundé.
It is not sure that the pitch should be blamed for this, but several players were injured during this match.
Côte d’Ivoire lost their leader Franck Kessié, even before half an hour of play, replaced by “the old” Serey Dié (30th).
On the Egyptian side, midfielder Hamdy Faty came out in the 84th and goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in the 88th, replaced by Gabaski.
Despite this lawn, the players offered many actions, a strike from Omar Marmoush on the crossbar (17th) then one from Salah under the bar, boxed by Sangaré (21st).
The Elephants took the lead and in turn proved dangerous and created several chances, including this header from Sébastien Haller picked under the bar by Mohamed El-Shenawy (70th).
In overtime, the two teams continued to seek the knockout, with a huge opportunity each, for Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” (98th) and for Ibrahima Sangaré (104th).
Despite these attempts, the match was decided on Bailly’s badly executed shot on goal, giving Salah the ultimate pleasure: Bailly plays at Manchester United, Liverpool’s great rival…