Egypt will meet with Cameroon at the semifinal of AFCON 2021 after a hard-fought quarterfinal win over Morocco

Egypt retained their place in the first semifinal of AFCON 2012 with a 2-1 win over Morocco on Sunday evening at Ahmadou Ahidjo Yaounde Stadium.
Morocco’s push for their second AFCON title ended in the quarter-finals, with the Atlas Lions failing to reach the semifinals for the seventh season in a row.

Morocco dominates first half in Yaounde

Morocco started the game with the intention of registering as early as possible and they did.

Judge Maget Ndiaye initially did not rule out Ayman Ashraf’s offense against Ashraf Hakimi, but the Senegalese official overturned his decision after being ordered by VAR to keep an eye on monitors from the touchline.

Sofiane Buffalo stepped up and scored her third goal at AFCON 2021 after Morocco took the lead in the seventh minute.

Atlas Lions from Morocco kept the ball well and continued to put pressure on Egypt every time Pharaoh had the ball.

Even though Moroccan goalkeeper Yassin Buno was forced into two saves in the space of two minutes by Ashraf and Mohamed Mostafa, the Egyptians tried to overwhelm the crucial Moroccan defense with missed long-range shots.

Hakimi had a 31st-minute chance to score a free-kick in the third minute of the third game, but the Paris Saint-Germain star was unable to flex the ball enough to distract Mohamed Abugabal in the Egypt goal.
Egypt captain Ahmed Hegazi picked up a groin injury late in the first half as the Al-Ittihad man struggled in the last minute of first-half stoppage time.

Salah and Trezeguet celebrate a happy return to Egypt

Early in the second half, Egypt coach Carlos Queiroz opted for a bold attack, replacing injured centre-back Hegazi with Aston Villa winger Trezeguet.

The move gave a boost to the attacks of seven-times champions Egypt as Trezeguet was immediately felt after the turning point in the 48th minute.

Early pressure from Pharaoh resulted in 53 minutes as Vahid Khalilhodzic’s side conceded their fourth goal at AFCON 2021.

Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah scored his second goal of the tournament and was the quickest to react to save Buno from Omar Marmush’s header.

Since then, Egypt has continued to put pressure on Morocco, which is looking for other targets.

Roman Sais made a clinical challenge to take the ball from Marmush in the 60th minute as the Stuttgart striker rushed towards goal, ready to pull the trigger.

In the 75th minute, the two North African rivals played their part in a brawl centered on Hakimi and Mohammed, with both players receiving yellow cards from the referee.

Abugabal made a top-drawer save in the 81st minute to deny Morocco’s lead, pinning Aguerd’s header to the bar before bouncing over the bar.

The remainder of the second half was dominated by Abugabal’s struggles to continue in goal when Zamalek injured his groin while saving Aguard.
Egypt switch to third goalkeeper but hold on for historic win

Despite their best efforts, Abugabal had to give up on third-placed Mohamed Sobhi in the 96th minute as Egypt had to change goalkeepers in the second game.

Salah displayed his Liverpool-like form as he twisted, twisted and tormented Aguerd down the right before feeding Trezeguet the perfect pass into goal in the 100th minute.

Hakimi and Sofianne Amrabat took the lead into Morocco to equalize in the second half of extra time as both players took turns firing Sobi into the Egyptian goal.

Egypt coach Keiros signed the referee’s book and the Portuguese coach finally got a warning after many clashes with officials throughout the match.

Buno fired a free-kick in the 120th minute and, interestingly, the keeper remained right in the opposition half, even as Egypt made two unstoppable strikes against Morocco.

Egypt qualified for their 16th AFCON semifinal appearance with hosts Cameroon waiting for them in the top four