Striker Amr Zaky scored twice to help defending champions Egypt to a stunning 4-1 win over Ivory Coast in their African Nations Cup semi-final on Thursday.
In an enthralling match, Ahmed Fathy gave Egypt an early lead before Zaky struck twice in five minutes just after the hour with Abdelkader Keita replying one minute after Zaky's first goal. Mohamed Aboutrika added a fourth in injury-time.
Egypt, who meet Cameroon in Sunday's final in Accra, were also helped by an inspired performance from goalkeeper Essam Al Hadari, who denied Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba a goal on three occasions with the score still at 1-0.
The match was a repeat of the 2006 final when Egypt beat Ivory Coast on penalties after a goalless draw in Cairo.
Egypt took a surprise lead in the 12th minute when Ivory Coast failed to clear from a corner and Fathy scored with a bouncing 20-metre shot which deflected off a defender.
Fathy and Aboutrika both shot wide from outside the area as Egypt, playing a measured passing game, continued to threaten.
Drogba was twice denied by Al Hadari before halftime, once with a close-range shot and the other from a powerful downward header which the goalkeeper blocked on the line.
Ivory Coast suffered another blow in the 39th minute when goalkeeper Boubacar Barry went off injured and was replaced by Stephan Loboue.
There was an ugly scuffle at halftime when Ivory Coast players surrounded a member of the Egypt bench, pointing fingers and remonstrating angrily, while Drogba also argued with Egypt players.
Al Hadari twice denied Ivory Coast again after halftime, making a superb reflex save to turn away Drogba's downward header and then parrying away Arthur Boka's ferocious free kick.
The drama continued with three goals in a five-minute spell.
Zaky put Egypt 2-0 ahead with a header which went in off the crossbar following a corner in the 62nd minute.
Keita pulled one back one minute later with a long-range drive, only for Zaky to restore Egypt's two-goal advantage with a low shot which went in off the post.
It become a rout in injury-time when Mohamed Zidan broke down the left and slipped the ball to an unmarked Aboutrika, who fired into the roof of the net from close range.
