Email
Print
Digg This
By Brian Homewood
KUMASI, Ghana, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Striker Amr Zaki scored twice to help champions Egypt to a stunning 4-1 win over Ivory Coast in their African Nations Cup semi-final on Thursday.
In an enthralling match, Ahmed Fathi gave Egypt an early lead before Zaki struck twice in five minutes just after the hour with Abdelkader Keita replying one minute after Zaki's first goal. Mohamed Aboutrika added a fourth in injury-time.
Egypt, who meet Cameroon in Sunday's final in Accra, were also helped by an inspired performance from goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari, who denied Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba a goal on three occasions with the score still at 1-0.
The match was a repeat of the 2006 final when Egypt beat Ivory Coast on penalties after a goalless draw in Cairo.
"They deserved to win, I think they have a fantastic goalkeeper," said Drogba. "I wish them luck."
Ivory Coast coach Gerard Gili whose team had won their first four games in the tournament and scored 13 goals, added he thought Al Hadari had been outstanding.
"The goalkeeper was the best player on the pitch. The score was not a reflection of what we did. My players have done their best."
"Egypt took their chances and have been very efficient."
Egypt took a surprise lead in the 12th minute when Ivory Coast failed to clear from a corner and Fathi scored with a bouncing 20-metre shot which deflected off a defender.
Drogba was then twice denied by Al Hadari before halftime, once with a close-range shot and the other from a powerful downward header which the goalkeeper blocked on the line.
HALFTIME SCUFFLE
Ivory Coast suffered another blow in the 39th minute when goalkeeper Boubacar Barry went off injured.
There was an ugly scuffle at halftime when Ivory Coast players surrounded a member of the Egypt bench and remonstrated angrily, while Drogba also argued with Egypt players.
Al Hadari twice denied Ivory Coast again after halftime, making a superb reflex save to turn away Drogba's downward header and then parrying away Arthur Boka's ferocious free kick.
The drama continued with three goals in a five-minute spell.
Zaki put Egypt 2-0 ahead with a header which went in off the crossbar following a corner in the 62nd minute before Keita pulled one back a minute later with a long-range drive.
Zaki then restored Egypt's two-goal advantage when his low shot went in off the post before Egypt completed the rout in injury time when Mohamed Zidan broke down the left and slipped the ball to Aboutrika, who fired into the roof of the net.
