Mueez Ajao
– Egypt beat Ivory Coast 5-4 on penalties to reach the quarter-finals at the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon following a 0-0 draw.
– The North Africans got the upper hand in the shoot-out when substitute keeper Gabaski saved Eric Bailly’s effort in the third round of spot-kicks.
– And Pharaohs captain Mohamed Salah netted the decisive penalty to send the record seven-time champions through.
Also Read: Hakimi fire Morocco into AFCON quarter-finals
– Egypt will face Morocco in the last eight in Yaounde on Sunday.
– The finale was somewhat harsh on Manchester United defender Bailly, who had performed superbly at the back while sporting a rugby scrum cap on his return from a head injury.
– Yet he took a short run-up for his penalty and placed his effort too close to Gabaski, who dived to his right and stuck out his left hand to push the ball onto the bar.
– The Zamalek keeper had come on right at the end of the second half after Mohamed El Shenawy picked up a leg injury, and may well start against Morocco depending on the extend of the injury suffered by Egypt’s number one.
