AFP, Yaound :
Mohamed Salah starred as Egypt reached the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-finals on Sunday and were joined in the last four by Senegal, while the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde where eight people died in a crush a week ago was given the green light to host the final.
The Confederation of African Football gave the stadium the go ahead to host the second semi-final on February 3 between the hosts and Egypt, and the final on February 6 after lifting the temporary suspension of the venue where eight died, including a child, on January 24.
“Having noted the recommendations and undertakings from government in regard to additional security provisions…the CAF Organising Committee unanimously agreed to lift the suspension imposed on the Olembe Stadium,” African football’s governing body said in a statement.
The disaster happened prior to last Monday’s last-16 tie between hosts Cameroon and the Comoros, when supporters were caught in a crush at the south entrance gate of the stadium.
Olembe, a 60,000-seat venue built for the tournament, was then stripped of the quarter-final due to be played there, with the match instead moved to the Ahmadou Ahidjo stadium also in Yaounde.
That meant a double-header at the stadium on Sunday, with Egypt coming from behind to defeat Morocco 2-1 in extra time before Senegal beat Equatorial Guinea 3-1.
Morocco took the lead through an early Sofiane Boufal penalty only for Egypt captain Salah to equalise early in the second half, following up to score after a Mohamed Abdelmonem header was saved.
Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed Abou Gabal then tipped a late Nayef Aguerd header onto the crossbar as the game went to extra time, and the record seven-time continental champions found the winner in the 100th minute.
Salah made it with some excellent play on the right before his low delivery to the back post was turned in by Mahmoud Trezeguet.
Mane set up the opener for Famara Diedhiou in the last-eight encounter but Equatorial Guinea fought back to equalise through Jannick Buyla early in the second half.
However, substitutes Cheikhou Kouyate and Ismaila Sarr then both found the net to seal Senegal’s place in the semis and a meeting with Burkina Faso on Wednesday at the same Ahmadou Ahidjo Stadium in the Cameroonian capital.
Burkina Faso defeated Tunisia 1-0 on Saturday to give some relief to a country rocked by the ousting last week of President Roch Marc Christian Kabore in a military coup.
