Two-time champion Nigeria beat Zambia 5-4 on penalties to advance to the semifinals at the African Cup of Nations where it will meet Ghana. Earlier, Egypt beat Cameroon 3-1, also after extra time, to set up a semifinal meeting against Cameroon. Goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama scored the decisive penalty after Thomas Nyirenda had missed for Zambia. Enyeama dived to his right to stop Nyirenda's penalty after Sikombe Chivhuta and Christopher Katongo and Emmanuel Mayuka had all scored for Zambia. The two teams failed to score in either regulation or extra time Monday, forcing the game to be decided by a penalty shootout. Obefemi Martins, Victor Nsofor, Peter Odemwingie, and John Obi Mikel all scored for Nigeria. Egypt captain Ahmed Hassan scored twice to lead his team to a 3-1 extra-time win over Cameroon. Making an African-record 170th international appearance, Hassan inadvertently gave Cameroon a 1-0 lead in the 26th minute by heading in a corner from Achille Emana at the near post. Ten minutes later, Hassan's long-range effort bounced in front of goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and went into the net. Substitute Mohamed Gedo gave Egypt the lead in the second minute of extra time, beating Kameni after a poor back pass from Cameroon defender Geremi Njitap. Hassan scored two minutes later from a long-range free kick that didn't appear to cross the goal line after Kameni had punched the ball on to the underside of the crossbar. Man of the hour Hassan was unperturbed by the controversy. “I'm very happy because we won today,” he said. “We played a very good match, and I'm thrilled to score two goals and also with the record of 170 appearances.” Egypt, the two-time defending champion who is unbeaten in its last 17 African Cup games, will play Algeria Thursday in a repeat of the World Cup qualifier in November at Cairo in which Egyptian fans pelted a bus carrying Algerian players with missiles. Three Algerian players were hurt. Fan violence after Algeria won to qualify for the World Cup left more than 32 people injured. Following three consecutive Cameroon corners, Geremi tried his luck from long range in the 12th but his shot went over the bar. Egypt was dangerous on the break but it was Cameroon which broke the deadlock on a set-piece, Hassan beating his own goalkeeper Essam El Hadary with a header into the top corner while attempting to clear Emana's corner. Hassan made up for his defensive mistake in the 37th, equalizing with a 35-meter (yard) shot that Kameni should have saved. The Egypt captain ran to the substitutes bench and celebrated by brandishing a shirt bearing the No. 170. Cameroon's Aurelien Chedjou was sent off in the 112th minute after fouling Gedo.
