It is finally Egypt which passes in front of the Ivory Coast. The Pharaohs beat the Elephants on penalties (5-4), after a pleasant 0-0 in the match.
Egypt advance to quarterfinals
Both tactically and technically, this round of 16 between Côte d’Ivoire and Egypt is undoubtedly to be ranked among the best matches of this CAN 2021. Ivorians and Egyptians fought a high-level duel, both in the commitment, in the establishment of the two teams as in the use of the ball.
Salah in the oven and in the mill
Egypt advance to quarterfinals
Opposite, the Elephants, for their part, will also have a few opportunities to open the scoring, notably through I. Sangaré. But the midfielder, who had strangely found himself alone in the heart of the Egyptian defence, saw his bicycle pushed aside by El-Shennawy (32′). The two teams will then join the locker room with the score of 0-0.
The second period will experience the same intensity as the first. Mohamed Salah and his teammates will, unlike the first half, take the game on their own. Visibly fresher than their opponents, they multiplied the opportunities. Well served by Salah, El Solia had a golden opportunity to open the scoring, but his shot flew out of bounds (52′).
Egypt in the quarter-finals
The Elephants answered at 75′ on a header from Sébastien Haller in the area. However, El-Shennawy won with a fine parade. The Egyptian goalkeeper was to prove decisive again at the very end of the game (84′), on a strike from Wilfried Zaha, who came on in place of Max-Alain Gradel. This stop will however be his last of the match. Indeed, injured on this action the last rampart of the Pharaohs is obliged to give way, replaced by Abu Gabal.
After 90 minutes of high intensity, the two teams approached extra time with the same desire and the same determination. Despite opportunities on both sides, Elephants and Pharaohs could not find the fault. And it is finally Egypt who will win at the end of the penalty shootout (5-4), to validate their ticket for the quarter-finals.
