Salah Scores Decisive Penalty as Egypt Beat Ivory Coast in Shoot-out

Mohamed Salah celebrates after Egypt won their Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 game against the Ivory Coast, Stade de Japoma, Douala, Cameroon, Jan. 26, 2022. (AFP)
Mohamed Salah celebrates after Egypt won their Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 game against the Ivory Coast, Stade de Japoma, Douala, Cameroon, Jan. 26, 2022. (AFP)
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Salah Scores Decisive Penalty as Egypt Beat Ivory Coast in Shoot-out

Mohamed Salah celebrates after Egypt won their Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 game against the Ivory Coast, Stade de Japoma, Douala, Cameroon, Jan. 26, 2022. (AFP)
Mohamed Salah celebrates after Egypt won their Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 game against the Ivory Coast, Stade de Japoma, Douala, Cameroon, Jan. 26, 2022. (AFP)

Mohamed Salah scored the decisive spot-kick as record seven-time champions Egypt beat the Ivory Coast 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in Douala on Wednesday to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

The Liverpool star smashed home his penalty with the Ivory Coast's Eric Bailly the only player to fail from the spot, and Egypt go on to play Morocco in the last eight in Yaounde on Sunday.

It was a tense last-16 tie which for long spells resembled a battle of attrition on a poor pitch at the Japoma Stadium in Cameroon's economic capital, and it looked for much of the game as though Egypt would pay for their poor finishing, AFP reported.

However, Carlos Queiroz's team are now through to the last eight despite having scored just two goals in their four matches in Cameroon so far.

"Considering the number of opportunities we had I feel we deserved to win," said Queiroz, who said he is thriving under intense pressure despite criticism of the Portuguese coach in Egypt.

"It is part of the package. Professional players and coaches can't live without pressure. It is a source of inspiration."

Meanwhile two-time champions the Ivory Coast are out, once again defeated by an Egyptian side who have long held the upper hand in meetings between the continental heavyweights.

This was their 11th AFCON encounter and still Egypt have lost just once to the Elephants.

Among their many successes against the Ivory Coast was their victory on penalties in the 2006 final, and a crushing triumph in the semi-finals in 2008.

"I can't really reproach the players. It's not as though they missed every penalty. It was just decided by a little detail," said Ivorian coach Patrice Beaumelle.

This match, like those played on Tuesday, was preceded by a moment's silence in memory of the victims of Monday's tragic crush in Yaounde.

The crowd was well below what might have been expected for such a match, but many of those who were present were clearly there to see Salah, judging by the screams every time the Liverpool star's face appeared on the big screens.

Salah spoke on the eve of the tie of his desperation to win the Cup of Nations, with the last of Egypt's record seven titles coming in 2010, a year before he made his international debut.

He was the one who delivered the final blow, but only after he and his side squandered a hatful of chances.

The young VfB Stuttgart winger, Omar Marmoush, almost put Egypt ahead with a superb 17th-minute strike from 25 meters that crashed off the top of the bar.

Salah and Mostafa Mohamed were both denied by Badra Ali Sangare in the first half, while the Ivory Coast lost influential midfielder Franck Kessie to injury after just half an hour.

Still the Elephants almost went ahead when the unmarked Ibrahim Sangare saw his acrobatic effort pushed away by Mohamed El Shenawy.

Sebastien Haller, the Elephants' own Europe-based attacking superstar, struggled to get into the game before two attempts, either side of half-time, tested El Shenawy.

The experienced Al Ahly goalkeeper came off injured after a long delay late on as the game petered out, with Mohamed Abogabal replacing him for extra time.

The Zamalek shot-stopper produced a fine save to deny the excellent Sangare before Haller was taken off, and as the game went to penalties Abogabal tipped Bailly's kick onto the bar and Salah then had the last word.



Sinner, Djokovic in Opposite Halves at Australian Open, Sabalenka vs Stephens in 1st Round

09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
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Sinner, Djokovic in Opposite Halves at Australian Open, Sabalenka vs Stephens in 1st Round

09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa

Defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic have landed in opposite sides of the draw for the season’s first major, ruling out a replay of last year’s semifinal match.
Sinner upset Djokovic in the semifinals at the Australian Open last year before coming back to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 for his first Grand Slam singles title.
Top-ranked Sinner has a first-round match against Nicolas Jarry and also has Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Medvedev in his quarter of the draw. Fritz will open against fellow American Jenson Brooksby.
Djokovic and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the quarterfinals, with a possible semifinal against No. 2 Alexander Zverev.
At the draw Thursday to set the brackets for the singles fields, defending champions Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka walked into the official ceremony holding thei trophies.
Sabalenka won her second consecutive title at Melbourne Park in 2024 by defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Sabalenka will be attempting to win a third consecutive women’s singles title at Melbourne Park, something last accomplished by Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
Sabalenka drew a tough opening match against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and has 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva and Zheng in her section.
“I have a lot of great memories and to be back here ... as a two-time Australian Open champion, it’s definitely something special,” Sabalenka, who won the Brisbane International title last week, said at the draw ceremony. “I hope that I can keep doing what I’m doing here in Australia.”
Third-seeded Coco Gauff is a potential semifinal rival for Sabalenka. Gauff has a challenging first-round match against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and is in the same section of the draw as seventh-seeded Jessica Pegula.
The Australian Open starts Sunday morning in Melbourne (Saturday night EST) and will run for 15 days.
Djokovic will be playing in his first event alongside new coach Andy Murray, his former on-court rival and a three-time major champion. Nobody has won the men's title at Melbourne Park more often than Djokovic, although he said he still feels trauma from the one year he wasn’t allowed to play.
Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up who withdrew from an exhibition against Djokovic this week because of an abdominal strain, will face Jacob Fearnley in the first round if the mercurial Australian is fit enough to contest his first major since the 2022 US Open. Kyrgios is in the same section as Zverev.