* There is no easy game in Africa anymore because the levels are very close. I told the boys that we haven’t seen teams losing by four or five goals, and that says a lot
* For Salah, individual milestones remain secondary. His hunger, like Egypt’s ambition, is firmly fixed on one prize — lifting the AfCON trophy at last
* With defending champions Côte d’Ivoire being a high hurdle to jump over as the reigning African champions continue to rise in strength and have all the qualities to keep their title
Maravi Express
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah has played down talk of being one of the favourites at the Africa Cup of Nations (AfCON) Morocco 2025, insisting the Pharaohs are focused on taking the tournament one match at a time — as they prepare for the quarterfinal clash against defending champions, Côte d’Ivoire tomorrow from 21:00.
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Chasing a record-extending eighth continental title, Egypt booked their place in the last eight with a hard-fought 3–1 extra-time victory over Benin, with Salah once again leading from the front.
The talisman scored Egypt’s decisive third goal on Monday night, taking his tally to three goals in three matches at the tournament. Despite his sparkling form, Salah is keen to keep expectations in check: “I don’t think we are favourites.
“We have young players, most of them playing back home in Egypt. We are just fighting for our country, then we see where we can go. Everyone here just wants to give their best.”
Salah has featured in all but one of Egypt’s matches so far, sitting out the final group game against Angola when qualification was already assured. That decision, made by head coach Hossam Hassan, proved decisive as Egypt found the edge in extra time against a stubborn Benin side.
“Physically, we were a little better in extra time and that gave us the advantage,” Salah explained. “There is no easy game in Africa anymore because the levels are very close. I told the boys that we haven’t seen teams losing by four or five goals, and that says a lot.”
The Liverpool forward was quick to acknowledge the quality of the opposition: “We played against a team with a good coach and a strong structure. It wasn’t easy, but we are happy to have won in the end.”
Away from the spotlight, Salah has largely avoided media attention during Egypt’s stay in Agadir, quietly focusing on both collective success and personal redemption. Having lost two AfCON final matches, the 32-year-old is still chasing his first continental crown.
There is also history within reach. Salah’s three goals in Morocco have taken him to 66 international goals, just three shy of head coach Hossam Hassan’s long-standing Egypt scoring record of 69.
Hassan, himself an Egyptian legend and AfCON winner as a player, has no doubt Salah will surpass the mark sooner rather than later: “He is a very important player, not only for us but also for his club Liverpool.
Sallah and his coach Hossam Hassan
“He has shown his leadership in this tournament, guiding the young players and taking responsibility. We are blessed to have him, and I expect him to keep scoring.”
For Salah, individual milestones remain secondary. His hunger, like Egypt’s ambition, is firmly fixed on one prize — lifting the AfCON trophy at last — with defending champions Côte d’Ivoire being a high hurdle to jump over as the reigning African champions continue to rise in strength and have all the qualities to keep their title.
Ahead of the 2025 edition, the defensively strong Côte d’Ivoire proclaimed it but via whispers — they want to win the competition again and do the back-to-back.
Since the appointment of coach Emerse Faé, the Elephants have a very beautiful defensive base with Evan Ndicka at the helm, who clearly embodies this defensive solidity and at this AfCON, the AS Roma player formed a very high-level duo with Odilon Kossounou.
Emerse Faé
After four matches, Côte d’Ivoire conceded 3 goals — two in the match against Gabon on the 3rd day with a reshuffle in the defensive sector. This defensive solidity of the Elephants, it’s quite an organisation.
The midfield of Christ Inao Oulai, Ibrahim Sangaré and Franck Kessié covers the central defense with ball recoveries. Against the Stallions in the round of 16, they recorded 47 ball recoveries and 60% of won duels, including 56% ground battles and 73% aerial duels.
Côte d’Ivoire started timidly with a narrow 1-0 victory against Mozambique but gained momentum afterwards with a very promising 1-1 draw in the clash against Cameroon before stunning Gabon 3-2 in the last group match following a reshuffled squad.
Against Burkina Faso, the Elephants have reached the peak of their collective game when they delivered a quality performance with 58% of possession, 33 touches in the opposing area, 76% of passes in the final third, 429 accurate passes, 69% of passes passed.
Amad Diallo
Amad Diallo, the Manchester United player on the right, Yan Diomandé, the RB Leipzig member on the left, are the real offensive assets of the Elephants — very technical and they systematically make the difference against their opponents to score or to put the advanced attacker in orbit.
Amad Diallo carries offensively the Ivorian team with his 3 goals and an assist in 4 games. After four appearances, the 23-year-old player was designated Man of the Match three times.—Reporting by CAFonline & Sports News Africa; edited by Maravi Express