Mohamed Salah scored the decisive spot kick as record seven-time champions Egypt beat Ivory Coast 5-4 on penalties after a 0-0 draw in Douala on Wednesday to reach the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

The Liverpool star smashed home his penalty with Ivory Coast’s Eric Bailly the only player to fail from the spot, and Egypt go on to play Morocco in the last eight in Yaounde on Sunday.

It was a tense last-16 tie, which for long spells resembled a battle of attrition on a poor pitch at the Japoma Stadium in Cameroon’s economic capital, and it looked for much of the game as though Egypt would pay for their poor finishing.

The young VfB Stuttgart winger, Omar Marmoush, almost put Egypt ahead with a superb 17th-minute strike from 25 metres that crashed off the top of the bar.

Salah and Mostafa Mohamed were both denied by Badra Ali Sangare in the first half, while Ivory Coast lost influential midfielder Franck Kessie to injury after just half an hour.

Still the Elephants almost went ahead when the unmarked Ibrahim Sangare saw his acrobatic effort pushed away by Mohamed El Shenawy.

Sebastien Haller, the Elephants’ own Europe-based attacking superstar, struggled to get into the game before two attempts, either side of half time, tested El Shenawy.

The experienced Al Ahly goalkeeper came off injured after a long delay late on as the game petered out, with Mohamed Abogabal replacing him for extra time.

The Zamalek shotstopper produced a fine save to deny the excellent Sangare before Haller was taken off and, as the game went to penalties, Abogabal tipped Bailly’s kick on to the bar and Salah then had the last word.

Meanwhile, in the earlier game, Santiago Eneme scored the decisive penalty as minnows Equatorial Guinea edged Mali 6-5 in a shootout after a drab 0-0 draw following extra time in Limbe on Wednesday to reach the Afcon quarter-finals.

After France-based Eneme converted, Malian Falaye Sacko had a kick saved by Jesus Owono and his country bowed out in the first knockout stage for the second successive Cup of Nations.

An ultra-cagey last-16 match produced minimal excitement for the crowd with both teams managing just one shot on target in 120 minutes.

Equatorial Guinea now face Sadio Mane-inspired Senegal, one of the title favourites, in Yaounde on Sunday for a place in the semi-finals of the flagship African tournament.

While Senegal will be hot favourites to advance, Equatorial Guinea beat them in the only previous Cup of Nations clash 10 years ago.