ACTUALITE |
07.02.2008
Ivory Coast 1-4 Egypt
Egypt will meet Cameroon in the final after stunning tournament favourites Ivory Coast in an engrossing contest.
Ahmed Fathi put the defending champions ahead on 12 minutes with a strike from the edge of the penalty area.
Amr Zaki made it 2-0 with a header after the break, but Kader Keita pulled a goal back a minute later with a stunning 25-yard strike.
Zaki scored another from the edge of the area, and Mohamed Aboutrika added the fourth in stoppage time.
Earlier Cameroon, who lost 4-2 to Egypt in their opening group game, beat Ghana 1-0.
Egypt goalkeeper Essam Al-Hadari had a superb game, while Ivory Coast were forced to bring on inexperienced goalkeeper Stephan Loboue in the first half.
Kolo Toure returned to the Ivory Coast defence, but was not at his sharpest.
Egypt took a more physical approach to the game than usual, deciding to take on the Elephants` power.
Didier Drogba worked his way into the penalty area in the 11th minute, but goalkeeper Al-Hadari had the shot covered.
The Pharoahs went ahead a minute later when a corner was not cleared decisively, and the ball came into the path of Fathi, who fired it in at the near post.
Twelve minutes on, a Fathi shot from almost the same position whistled wide, after the Ivorians failed to dispossess Egypt.
Al-Hadari used his body to save a Drogba shot from six yards out, then at the other end, a 20-yard left-footer from Mohamed Aboutrika went a metre wide.
Egypt continued to maintain their presence in the game with confident, incisive play, and there was a blow for Ivory Coast in the 37th minute.
Injured goalkeeper Boubacar Barry had to be replaced with Loboue, playing his first competitive international, having not featured for his German club all season.
But the Elephants pressurised for an equaliser before the break, and were unlucky not to equalise in first-half stoppage time.
Drogba headed a corner goalwards with astonishing power, but the ball went straight into Al-Hadari`s body, and, with Aruna Dindane ready to pounce, it was cleared away by Abd Rabou.
Al-Hadari stopped another Drogba header with a brilliant fingertip save three minutes into the second half.
The Ivory coast pressure intensified and on the hour Al-Hadari had to punch Arthur Boka`s inswinging free kick over bar.
But Zaki made it 2-0 in the 62nd minute after Ahmed Hassan swung in a corner that Didier Zokora tried to clear at the near post.
The ball went to Zaki, who headed in off the crossbar with Loboue not moving an inch.
Ivory Coast responded seconds later, Keita was given room to dribbling across to a central position and unleashed a thunderbolt from 25 yards.
Zaki restored the two-goal advantage when a long clearance came his way, after the Ivorians were unable to gain possession.
The striker moved forward towards the edge of the area and scored from 20 yards.
Ivory Coast applied continual pressure but Egypt held firm, and with the Elephants committed to attack, Aboutrika scored in stoppage time from an Egypt break.
Few would have predicted the scoreline, and the Pharaoh`s defence of the trophy remains on course.
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Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
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