Player off the match Mohamed Salah of Egypt during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON Quarterfinal match between Egypt and Cote Ivoire at the Adrar Stadium, Agadir on the 10 January 2026 ©Muzi Ntombela/BackpagePix
Sunday Jan 11, 2026. 11:00
Egypt captain Mohamed Salah hailed his troops’ fighting spirit after the team’s victory over the reigning African champions, the Ivory Coast, on Saturday night.
The Pharaohs progressed to the semi-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Saturday, with Salah grabbing a goal and an assist at the Adrar Stadium in Agadir, Morocco.
“It was a tough opponent and we fought well to secure the victory. All the players deserve this win because of their spirit and the way they fought until the end,” the Liverpool FC winger said after being named Man of the Match.
“Egypt have a lot of talented players in the squad and we always play to win. We have top players competing in Europe and in the Egyptian league. This is the best squad I have played in during my career, and I hope we can cap it by winning the Africa Cup of Nations.”
The 32-year-old also discussed their upcoming semi-final showdow which is against his former Liverpool FC teammate Sadio Mane’s side, Senegal, at the Tangier Granda Stadium in Tangier on Wednesday.
“The match against Senegal will be difficult. They have many players based in Europe, but we will do our best to deliver a strong performance. We have to carry on and see what happens in the next games,” he added.
The match between Egypt and Senegal will kick off at 19h00 CAT.