Émerse Fae, the coach of Côte d’Ivoire, expressed his frustration after their 3-2 loss to Egypt in the 2025 Cup of Nations quarter-finals. He lamented the mistakes made at crucial moments and the early goals conceded, which put them at a disadvantage.
Mohamed Salah was pivotal for Egypt, scoring and assisting in their dramatic victory. Omar Marmoush opened the scoring early, and Ramy Rabia doubled the lead with a header from a Salah corner. Côte d’Ivoire managed to pull one back just before halftime with an own goal by Fatouh.
After the break, Salah scored again, extending Egypt’s lead to 3-1. Guéla Doué pulled one back for Côte d’Ivoire, but despite their attacking efforts, they couldn’t find an equaliser.
“We are frustrated by tonight’s result. We prepared well to face the Egyptian team, but we made too many mistakes at crucial moments. Those mistakes hurt us the most.
We took time to get into the match. I regret conceding the first goal so early, and the second one too. We reacted well and got back to 2-1 before halftime, but the third goal put us in trouble. It’s tough to explain these lapses in concentration. We will keep working to prepare for the World Cup.”
Salah, named Man of the Match, praised his teammates and highlighted their determination. Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, emphasised their strategy and preparation against the defending champions, expressing pride in their performance despite some mistakes.
