The curtain has fallen on the quarter-final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations, completing the lineup for the semi-finals in the 35th edition of the tournament, with four prestigious teams boasting a long history in African football reaching the decisive phase.

The two Arab national teams, Morocco and Egypt, face two major challenges, as the Moroccan team goes up against Nigeria, while the Egyptian team meets Senegal in the semifinal matches.

If Morocco and Egypt succeed in reaching the final, the match will feature an all-Arab showdown, a first since the 2004 edition, when Tunisia won the title by defeating Morocco 2-1.

The Moroccan national team, the host country of the tournament, enters the semifinal with high spirits after defeating Cameroon 2-0 in the quarterfinals, while the Nigerian team secured its place in the semifinals by beating Algeria with the same score.

On the other hand, the Egyptian national team qualified for the semifinals after an exciting victory over the Ivory Coast team with a score of three goals to two, continuing their historic dominance over the Ivorian team, while the Senegalese team reached this stage after overcoming Mali.

The journeys of Morocco and Egypt in the tournament witnessed a noticeable improvement in performance after a start that was below expectations. Both teams then managed to overcome relatively weaker opponents, setting up their second true test in the competition in the semifinals against Nigeria and Senegal.

The Moroccan national team aspires to win its second Africa Cup of Nations title in history, after a 50-year absence, benefiting from strong fan support, especially following the impressive performance against Cameroon in the quarterfinals.

On the other hand, Egyptian national team captain Mohamed Salah hopes to win the only African title missing from his career, although he emphasized after qualifying that his team is not considered the top favorite to win, given that the squad relies heavily on players from the local league.

Salah expressed his pride in belonging to this generation of the Egyptian national team, emphasizing that the current training camp is one of the most significant periods in the team's history. He also pointed out that this continental title holds a special priority for him.

Arab fans are eagerly anticipating the possibility of witnessing an all-Arab final for the second time in the history of the tournament, if Morocco and Egypt succeed in overcoming the semifinal hurdle. The question remains: will this Arab dream come true? The coming days will provide the answer.