CAN 2022 – Thanks to Mohamed Salah, Egypt overthrows Morocco and qualifies for the semi-finals (2-1, ap)

Cameroon knows its opponent in the semi-finals of CAN 2021, for Thursday’s match in Yaoundé. At the end of a bitterly disputed meeting and not always a good state of mind, the Pharaohs of Egypt won against Morocco, after extra time (2-1). Achraf Hakimi’s teammates, who had nevertheless opened the scoring, will not have the opportunity to play the first semi-final of the Atlas Lions since 2004 on the continental scene. Unlike the Pharaohs of Mohamed Salah who offer themselves a prestigious revenge against the Cameroon of Vincent Aboubakar, after their defeat in the final of the CAN 2017.

Ayman Ashraf must be all smiles on this Sunday evening. However, his late afternoon had started badly. From the start of the confrontation between Egyptians and Moroccans, the 7th in the history of the CAN, the midfielder of Al Ahly rushed in a curious and very reckless way on Achraf Hakimi in his penalty area , on a very late tackle (3rd). After watching the sequence on his dedicated control screen, Senegalese referee Maguette N’Diaye awarded a logical penalty to the Atlas Lions, scored with skill by Sofiane Boufal (0-1, 7th).

Very surprisingly, Vahid Halilhodžić’s Morocco started to thwart in stride. Ashraf (20th) and Mohamed Abdelmonem (25th) thus put the last Moroccan bulwark Yassine Bounou to work, while the only other dangerous opportunity for the Atlas Lions, in the first period, was a free kick from Hakimi hit several meters next door (33rd).

Salah, essential scorer, providential passer

Dominating the game with a Mohamed El Neny full of impact, the Pharaohs set the record straight shortly after half-time, on a corner badly repelled by the Moroccan defense. Left alone in the Moroccan goal area, captain Mohamed Salah thus equalized from close range (53rd, 1-1). After an end of regulation time tarnished by numerous unsportsmanlike behaviors from both sides, it was again Salah who donned the boss’s costume for the Pharaohs. Ideally launched on the right side by Zizo, the Liverpool striker served Trézéguet left alone at the far post, for the winning goal in extra time (2-1, 100th).

Physically tested, the Moroccans were never able to prove dangerous afterwards and they could even have conceded a 3rd goal, without the regrettable clumsiness of Ramadhan Sobhy when serving Salah (120th +2). It’s Egypt’s second semi-final of the last three editions and Carlos Queiroz’s men will face an old acquaintance there on Thursday: hosts Cameroon. In Libreville in 2017, the teammates of Vincent Aboubakar, author of the winning goal, had deprived those of Mohamed Salah of an 8th title in the African Cup of Nations.