IVORY COAST are taking on Egypt today in a heavyweight AFCON contest which will see one of the pre-tournament favourites crash out.
Battling for a place in the quarter-finals, both sides are packed with star-studded names with Mo Salah hoping to fire the Egyptians into the next round.
It’s been an even contest so far, with the game now into the second half.
- TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event/BBC Red Button
- Ivory Coast XI: Sangare, Aurier, Bailly, Deli, Konan, Sangare, Seri, Kessi, Gradel, Pepe, Haller.
- Egypt XI: El Shenawy, El Fotouh, Abdelmonem, Hegazy, El Solia, Fathi, Marmoush, Kamal, Elneny, Mostafa Mohamed, Salah.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
46. The ball is played to Pepe with three players around him.
He tries a neat flick to try and find a teammate but the referee judges he is fouled.
Ivory Coast make nothing of the set-piece.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
45. Egypt get us underway.
What words of wisdom have the managers given?
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HT: Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
The half time whistle came at a better time for the Ivorians.
Egypt were starting to boss the midfield.
They need to get the ball to Gradel and Pepe more.
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HT: Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
The referee brings the half to a close.
Marmoush with the only effort to cause problems when he rattled the crossbar.
Kessie leaving the game due to injury is a big problem for the Ivorians.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
45. Ball is played up to the edge of the box.
It’s cushioned down to Haller who gets a shot away through the defender’s legs.
Too central to struggle the keeper who gathers cleanly.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
44. Salah is seeing more of the ball now.
He finds Marmoush who tries to get a shot away but it is blocked for another corner.
Poor quality from the corner and Ivory Coast head it clear.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
42. The free kick is laid off to Salah who drops his shoulder to find room to cross.
He finds his man at the back post who cushions a head down but the Ivorians clear.
The ball comes straight back, Les Elephants are struggling to clear their lines.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
40. Since the injury to Kessie, Elneny has really come into this game.
It seems his role was to track him as he is now finding space all of the time.
Egypt growing into this game more and more.
Gradel fouls Salah out wide, Egypt free kick.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
38. A ball is lifted into the Egypt box.
It evades all the defenders and Sangare tries an overhead kick.
The ball is saved by a diving El-Shenawy.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
36. This is all Egypt now.
Salah is playing a free role now and going wherever he wants.
Egypt try to find him more and more.
When they do, things happen.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
35. Salah finds Mohamed with a cheeky flick pass.
The striker has a sight of goal and gets a shot away.
It’s not cleanly struck but Sangare tips it wide for a corner.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
34. Kessie is a huge miss for the Ivorians.
You can already see since he has gone off how the game has changed.
Egypt have control of the centre of the park now.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
32. The game is finely poised but I feel a goal is needed for the neutral.
Ivory Coast seem to have more purpose attacking but it is Egypt who struck the bar.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
30. Kessie seems to be going around every player in the Ivory Coast squad, explaining his injury to them.
Whether they have asked or not.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
30. Kessie seems to be going around every player in the Ivory Coast squad, explaining his injury to them.
Whether they have asked or not.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
28. Gradel runs down the wing looking to beat his man.
Elneny wins the ball back with a heavy tackle.
Some afters between the two as Gradel seems unhappy.
Kessie falls to the ground as a result of the earlier injury, his game is done!
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
25. The ball is played to Pepe and he manages to control it before it crosses the byline in the Egypt box.
He does well to create some space for himself to cross but the keeper is able to cut it out.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
24. Aurier and Fetouh are having a real battle down the right-hand wing.
Ivory Coast win a corner but again the delivery is poor and easily dealt with.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
23. Play stops as Kessie receives some treatment.
The magic spray and a bit of water does the job for the AC Milan man.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
21. The ball is played into Salah who has come inside centrally.
He takes one touch to get it under his spell and gets a shot away.
Sangare tips the ball over the bar.
The corner is swung in but comes to nothing.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
20. Egypt get into their normal style and start knocking the ball around.
Finally the Ivorians press them and possession is lost.
Les Elephants seem just as happy to give away the ball though.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
18. Egypt are defending well.
Ivory Coast are looking to run at their back line and The Pharaohs are getting in some perfectly timed tackles to win back the ball.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
16. Marmoush rattles the crossbar!
From about 25 yards out, the Egyptian strikes it cleanly with the ball swerving and dipping leaving the keeper with no chance of getting anywhere near it.
The ball thunders off the crossbar into the air and the keeper is able to gather.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
15. Sangare looks to thread the ball through the middle to Pepe.
The Arsenal man is bundled to the ground by the defender.
The referee is not interested in his pleas for a free kick.
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Ivory Coast 0 Egypt 0
12. The Pharaohs are struggling to retain possession.
They are trying to bypass the Ivorian midfield but on such a hard pitch the ball bounces up and it is difficult to take it under control.
Ivory Coast are being physical in these challenges to make it even more difficult.