Egypt into final after Mido, penalty row
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-08 08:45

QUESTIONS SIDE-STEPPED

Egypt's assistant coach Shawki Gharib side-stepped questions about whether Mido, who plays for Tottenham Hotspur, would face disciplinary action or be allowed to play in the final.

Ivory Coast's Drogba celebrates after winning match against Nigeria during African Nations Cup in Alexandria. [Reuters]

"The Egypt team does not just mean Mido," he said.

Amdy Faye had two good chances early on as Senegal took early control of the match.

He forced Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary to rush out of his goal to clear the danger as he burst through the defence, then missed the post by centimetres with a long-range free kick.

But Egypt went ahead in the 36th minute when Ahmed Hassan converted a twice-taken penalty after Frederic Mendy punched the ball away in the penalty area.

The second half began dramatically as Mohamed Aboutrika hit the bar with a dipping shot before Mamadou Niang levelled in the 51st minute, heading home Lamine Diatta's long cross from the right.

The other semi-final produced limited opportunities for both teams.

Ivory Coast striker Drogba broke the deadlock two minutes into the second half when he beat the offside trap to turn onto a deep pass from Kolo Toure and hit the ball through the legs of Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

Nigeria brought on Jay-Jay Okocha after conceding the goal, the first appearance in the tournament for their captain, who had been suffering with a thigh injury.

Okocha had two opportunities from free kicks, the first saved by Jean-Jacques Tizie. A long range effort also went narrowly wide in the 63rd minute.

But the Bolton Wanderers playmaker could not find any decisive passes for a Nigeria attack that was generally starved of the ball and found the Ivorian centre back pairing of Toure and Abdoulaye Meite hard to penetrate.

Nigeria will play Senegal in Thursday's third place playoff match in Cairo.