Egypt Advances to African Cup Semifinals

Morocco's forward Munir el Haddadi (L) fights for the ball with Egypt's midfielder Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on January 30, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Morocco's forward Munir el Haddadi (L) fights for the ball with Egypt's midfielder Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on January 30, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
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Egypt Advances to African Cup Semifinals

Morocco's forward Munir el Haddadi (L) fights for the ball with Egypt's midfielder Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on January 30, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)
Morocco's forward Munir el Haddadi (L) fights for the ball with Egypt's midfielder Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) 2021 quarter-final football match between Egypt and Morocco at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde on January 30, 2022. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

Mohamed Salah scored the equalizer and created the winner to inspire Egypt's comeback on Sunday to beat Morocco 2-1 after extra time and reach the African Cup semifinals.

Egypt fell behind to an early penalty won by Achraf Hakimi and converted by Sofiane Boufal in the seventh minute.

Egypt captain Salah reacted quickly to knock in a rebound to make it 1-1 in the 53rd and sent in a perfect low cross for Trézéguet to tap in near the end of the first half of extra time.

Egypt was left to rely on third-choice goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhy for most of extra time after an injury to Mohamed Abou Gabal, who was already in the team in place of first choice Mohamed el-Shenawy.

Abou Gabal was injured in normal time but tried to play through it. He couldn't and had to come off in the sixth minute of extra time, leaving the 22-year-old Sobhy to make his debut for his country at the end of a high-pressure game.

In the end he wasn't tested and Salah and Trézéguet combined for the winner four minutes after Sobhy came on. Salah was faced with three defenders covering him on the right wing but he went for the outside and sent a right-foot cross into the path of Trézéguet at the back post.

Salah almost had a second in the final, chaotic moments when Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou joined an attack in the desperate search for an equalizer and left the Moroccan goal unguarded.

Egypt broke and Salah chased down a through ball but couldn't force it into the empty net from a tight angle.

It didn't matter. Full time came about a minute later and Egypt went through to a semifinal against host Cameroon, which is a repeat of the 2017 African Cup final that was won by Cameroon.

Egypt hasn't won the African Cup since its record-extending seventh title in 2010. Salah made his debut for the national team the year after that triumph and is still searching for a first major title with his country.



Klopp Smiles Broadly as Leipzig Defeats Werder Bremen 4-2 in Bundesliga

Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
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Klopp Smiles Broadly as Leipzig Defeats Werder Bremen 4-2 in Bundesliga

Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)
Jurgen Klopp (5thL), new global head of football at Red Bull, arrives next to Saxony's State Premier Michael Kretschmer (R) prior to the German first division Bundesliga football match between RB Leipzig and SV Werder Bremen in Leipzig, eastern Germany on January 12, 2025. (Photo by Ronny HARTMANN / AFP)

Jürgen Klopp watched with a broad smile as Leipzig defeated Werder Bremen 4-2 to reclaim fourth place in the Bundesliga on Sunday, The Associated Press reported.
Klopp, the former Liverpool, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz coach, took over his new duties as Red Bull’s head of global soccer on Jan. 1 and he took the first opportunity to see the energy drinks manufacturer’s German representative in competitive action.
Klopp can have had few complaints as he watched the 21-year-old Xavi Simons open the scoring and then cancel Mitchell Weiser’s response, before Benjamin Šeško, also 21, made it 3-1 with a brilliant strike from distance after the break.
Both Xavi and Šeško fit the profile of highly talented young players that Klopp will be expected to develop and attract to the growing Red Bull stable of clubs.
Leipzig substitute Christoph Baumgartner scored in the final minute before Bremen's Oliver Burke scored in stoppage time.
Klopp was in Paris on Saturday to see second-tier Paris FC beat Amiens 1-0. Among his tasks there is turning the club into one of France’s best under the ownership of the country’s richest family, the Arnaults of luxury empire LVMH. The family’s takeover of the second-tier club includes bringing Red Bull on board as a minority stakeholder.
Leipzig has struggled so far this season, losing all its games in the Champions League and dropping points in seven of its 16 games in the Bundesliga.
Stuttgart, last season’s runner-up, was playing at Augsburg later to conclude the round.