By Victor Eludire
The Africa Cup of Nations reaches its climactic stage with a mouth-watering semi-final line-up confirmed for Wednesday, January 14, as four of the continent’s heavyweight nations vie for a place in the final in Morocco.
Hosts Morocco will face Nigeria in Rabat, while Senegal and Egypt meet in Tangier in what promises to be pulsating clashes before the final on Sunday, January 18. 
Morocco booked their semi-final spot with a composed 2-0 victory over Cameroon in the quarter-finals, showcasing strong defensive balance and attacking quality en route to what could be a first AFCON crown in 50 years on home soil at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
Nigeria reached the last four with a commanding 2-0 win over Algeria in Marrakech, where Victor Osimhen scored and provided an assist and Akor Adams added the second, extending the Super Eagles’ unbeaten run and underlining their potent attack with 14 goals so far in the competition.
In the first semi-final, Senegal who edged Mali 1-0 to progress take on Egypt, fresh from a thrilling 3-2 quarter-final victory over defending champions Côte d’Ivoire.
The match at Tangier Grand Stadium renews one of Africa’s classic rivalries; Senegal beat Egypt on penalties in the 2022 AFCON final and will be aiming for another finals berth.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s talisman Mohamed Salah has equalled a historic AFCON scoring record by netting against 11 different national teams and sits just one behind his nation’s all-time tournament goal tally, adding extra intrigue to the tie.
