Hosts Egypt dismissed DR Congo 4-1 to zoom into the semi-final in the second quarterfinal match of the Africa Cup of Nations played here Friday.
The Pharaohs, who led 2-1 at halftime, opened scoring in the 33rd minute with Ahmed Hassan converting a penalty kick.
Veteran striker Hossam Hassan consolidated the lead after collecting a long overhead ball and unleashing an unstoppable shot seven minutes later.
The Simbas' fighting spirit paid off when Egyptian defenders fumbled a corner kick and Abdel el Saka, attempting to stop the ball, scored an own goal in two minutes of added time.
But the Egyptians stamped their authority on the game in the second half scoring in the 58th minute (Emad Motaeb) after some confusion in the Congolese defence.
Two minutes before time, Ahmed Hassan slotted in his second goal of the match with a free-kick to seal a well-deserved victory before a capacity partisan crowd at the Cairo main stadium.
Earlier in the day, Senegal beat Guinea 3-2 in the first quarterfinal to book the first semi-final spot.
In Saturday's two remaining quarterfinals, Nigeria take on defending champions and World Cup qualifiers Tunisia, while Cameroon will tackle Cote d'Ivoire, another World Cup qualifier.
For Tuesday's semi-finals, hosts Egypt will battle Senegal in Cairo, while the winners of Nigeria-Tunisia encounter will play the winners of Cameroon-Cote d'Ivoire tie in Alexandria.