Mohamed Salah scored what proved to be the winner for Egypt to set up a semi-final against Sadio Mane‘s Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Mohamed Salah’s AFCON progress: A quick look
• Match winner: Mohamed Salah scored and assisted in a 3-2 win over Ivory Coast to reach the semi-finals.
• Mane showdown: The victory sets up a high-stakes semi-final against Sadio Mane and Senegal this Wednesday at 5pm (GMT).
• Return date: Egypt going the distance means Salah likely won’t return for Liverpool until either Marseille (Jan 21) or Bournemouth (Jan 24).
Egypt faced the Ivory Coast on Saturday evening with a place in the final four of the competition on the line, five days on from playing 120 minutes in a last 16 win over Benin.
Salah, captaining his side, continued an impressive run of form with his country, notching his fourth goal in the competition and his first assist in a 3-2 win.
The Pharaohs raced to an early lead via Man City‘s Omar Marmoush, scoring inside the first four minutes, and that lead was extended just after the half-hour mark from a Salah corner.
Liverpool’s No. 11 delivered an inswinging ball for Rami Rabia to steer a header beyond Yahia Fofana, securing a 2-0 lead that was against the run of play.
Ivory Coast pegged one back via an own goal, after a poor attempt at a headed clearance, before half-time, but Salah, not for the first time in the competition, ensured his team would progress.
Seven minutes after the break, the 33-year-old scored Egypt’s third goal after using his strength to keep the defender on the wrong side of the ball, with a tidy finish making it 3-1.
Ivory Coast would again half the deficit with a corner goal of their own with 17 minutes remaining, but Egypt held onto their advantage to secure a place in the semi-final.
Salah has been pivotal to his side’s run to the last four, with four goals and an assist, and it now sets up a meeting with former Liverpool teammate Mane.
Mo Salah at AFCON so far
|Total|
|---|---|
|Games Played|4|
|Minutes Played|389′|
|Goals Scored|4|
|Assists|1|
Stats via FotMob
Senegal progressed thanks to a 1-0 win over Mali, setting up a rematch of the 2021 AFCON final, in which Mane clinched a winner’s medal in a penalty shootout ahead of Salah.
They will face off on Wednesday (5pm GMT) for a place in the final.
When will Mo Salah return from AFCON?
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, December 13, 2025: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah acknowledging the supporters after the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brighton & Hove Albion FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
While it is yet to be determined if Salah will return to another AFCON final, which would be his third, Egypt’s progression means he is to go the distance in the competition.
This is because AFCON will host a third-place playoff (Jan 17) on the day before the final (Jan 18), meaning Salah’s next available game for Liverpool could be against Marseille (Jan 21).
The trip to France, however, is only three days after the final and it could be that the Premier League meeting at Bournemouth on January 24 is more realistic, assuming Salah stays fit.
His fallout with Arne Slot was resolved, in the head coach’s words, prior to his departure for the tournament, but there will be plenty of interest in his role for the team on his return.