KUMASI - Egypt earned the chance to defend their African Nations Cup title with a semi-final win over Ivory Coast.
The Pharoahs will face Cameroon in the final in confident mood having beaten the Indomitable Lions in their opening match.
Ivory Coast, competition favourites thanks to a squad decorated with Premier League stars, were undone by poor defending and even worse goalkeeping.
Egypt owed much of their success to keeper Essam Al-Hadary, who plays his club football in his homeland for Al-Ahly, but got the better of Chelsea striker Didier Drogba.
It was a battle which left Al-Hadary - hero of the penalty shoot-out in the 2006 final - limping for most of the second half after a collision as both players jumped for a cross.
Ahmed Fathy, perhaps fortunate to be on the pitch after elbowing Drogba, put Egypt in front after 12 minutes and Amr Zaky added a second in the 62nd minute.
Ivory Coast pulled a goal back a minute later through Kadar Keita but Zaky scored his second before Mohamed Aboutrika netted a late fourth.
Ivory Coast's first chance came two minutes in when Aruna Dindane carved out space for himself but his shot was blocked.
Drogba then won a free-kick after taking an elbow to the face from Fathy.
But Ivory Coast's strong start counted for nothing as an Egypt corner caused havoc in their penalty box before falling to Fathy, whose low drive from 25 yards a deflection before flying past Boubacar Barry.
The goal robbed Ivory Coast of their momentum and they reverted to sending long balls up to the front men, a tactic which did not worry an Egypt defence which had conceded just one goal in the tournament.
The Pharaohs looked dangerous on the counter-attack as a swift exchange of passes in the 20th minute saw Fathy feed Zaky who turned into space but fluffed his shot.
Drogba should have levelled in the 28th minute when he pulled off the back of the Egypt defence to get on the end of a cross from Keita but he hit his shot into the ground and Al-Hadary saved.
Little was going right for Ivory Coast. Keeper Barry was forced off after 37 minutes, replaced by Stephan Loboue, when he collided with one of his team-mates as he came for a cross into his box.
Loboue has yet to play first-team football for his club - Greuther Furth of Germany's second division - this season but he got down well to a low shot from Hosni Abd Rabou after 41 minutes.
The referee added six minutes of stoppage time at the end of the first half to allow for Barry's treatment.
A Boka free-kick flummoxed the Egyptian defence only to be cleared for a corner from which Drogba should have scored.
The Chelsea striker hit his header straight at Al-Hadary who blocked.
Drogba missed a great chance to score three minutes into the second half but Al-Hadary pulled off another superb save.
The Egypt keeper then needed treatment as he collided with Drogba after punching clear a Keita cross. Unlike Barry, he was able to continue but he appeared to be in pain for the rest of the match.
Ivory Coast's long balls were beginning to find Drogba in more and more space but Al-Hadary was in excellent form as he tipped over a Boka free-kick.
And Egypt doubled their lead in the 62nd minute after more poor defending by Ivory Coast. Didier Zokora failed to clear a Ahmed Hassan corner and Amr Zaky headed in.
The two-goal advantage lasted just over a minute as Al-Hadary was finally beaten by spectacular long-range effort from Keite.
But Egypt scored again in the 67th minute when a long ball forward found Zaky and he thumped a shot past Loboue, who should have done better.
Drogba continued to battle on and his overhead kick was just wide in the 69th minute.
Yaya Toure then sent a shot wide in the 80th minute but Aboutrika finished off the win with a fourth in stoppage time.
