Egypt to Russia on bicycle

Persecution, prosecution and public shaming have led to a new wave of solidarity among women in Egypt. Could this kind of grassroots movement gain enough power to change the difficult situation on the ground?

The Pharaohs of Egypt claimed the enormous scalp of the Ivory Coast as they won their last 16 clash on spot kicks 5-4 in Douala on Wednesday evening. Eric Bailly missed the crucial spot kick for the Elephants while star man, Mohamed Salah converted to send his team through. The second game was almost a carbon-copy with no goals scored over 120 minutes between Mali and Equatorial Guinea. But it was the Northern Thunder who won 6-5 on penalties after Mali's, Falaye Sacko had his effort saved.

The Pharaohs played a goalless draw with the Elephants of Ivory Coast in Douala but went on to win after a penalty shoot-out. The seven-time champions are still on course to stretch their record.

FRANCE 24 spoke to Ramy Shaath, an Egytian-Palestinian activist who spent two and half years in jail in Egypt on accusations of aiding a terrorist group. He was a member of several secular political groups and a co-founder of the pro-Palestinian BDS movement. Shaath, who was never formally charged, described the conditions of his arrest, detention and finally his release from jail on January 8. He claimed "arbitrary detentions and arrests" increasingly account for "the majority" of inmates in Egyptian jails under President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. He also said he understood that he was expected to keep silent following his release and had already received threats.

Egypt came back from a Sofiane Boufal penalty to claim a 2-1 victory over Morocco in their quarter final match on Sunday. Mohamed Salah equalised for the Pharao's before setting up Trézéguet in extra time to knock out the Atlas Lions. In the other game, Senegal's Sadio Mané returned to set up Famara Diedhiou for their opener only for Equatorial Guinea to respond through Jannick Buyla. But Cheikhou Kouyaté & Ismaïla Sarr made sure of the 3-1 win for the Lions of Teranga.

ECOWAS leaders hold an emergency summit in Ghana after a series of coups on the continent. Also, Mali's cotton sector is hit hard by ECOWAS measures after its military coup. In Nigeria, an explosion on an oil vessel off the coast sparks fears of environmental damage; the fate of 10 crew members is also still unclear. And Egypt beat Cameroon on penalties to reach the Africa Cup of Nations final.

Egypt will be aiming to win a record-extending eighth Cup of Nations title when they face Senegal in Sunday's final.

Sadio Mane scored the winning spot-kick as Senegal claimed a first ever Africa Cup of Nations title with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over seven-time winners Egypt following a 0-0 draw in the decider in Yaounde on Sunday.

The Lions of Teranga reign supreme! Senegal have put a new name on the AFCON trophy after beating Egypt 4-2 on penalties. It was a final of the goalkeepers as Senegal's Edouard Mendy and Egypt's Mohamed Abou Gabal, aka Gabaski, made some stunning saves to keep out the opposition. Gabal in particular thwarted a 5th minute Sadio Mané penalty. But after no team could be separated after 120 minutes, Mané made amends from the penalty spot to send his team into delirium. Jean-Emile Jammine is joined by Sports Editor Simon Harding, Sports Reporter James Vasina and Eurosport's Ruben Slagter for this special edition.

The three leaders discussed food security in Cairo as the Russian invasion of Ukraine sparks concerns about economic stability. Israel is also seeking to strengthen its alliances against Iran.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have arrived in Ghana for the first leg of the Qatar 2023 World Cup Qualifiers against the Black Stars of Ghana. The Nigeria contingent departed from the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja aboard a chartered Air Peace aircraft on Thursday morning.

Alaa Abdel-Fattah's family hopes that his UK citizenship can secure his release from prison. The activist has spent much of the past decade behind bars, along with many other Egyptian political prisoners.