SEKONDI, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Salomon Kalou scored a double as

Ivory Coast cruised into the semi-finals of the African Nations

Cup with a 5-0 demolition of Guinea in Sekondi on Sunday.

Ivory Coast next play either Egypt or Angola, who meet in

their quarter-final in Kumasi on Monday.

There was a minute's silence before kickoff in memory of the

late son of former Ivory Coast coach Uli Stielike, who died this

week.

Abdelkader Keita opened the scoring in the 25th minute of

the quarter-final at the Essipon stadium after outpacing the

Guinea defence for a 1-0 halftime lead.

Captain Didier Drogba made it two in the 70th having been

put through by Kalou, who netted his double in the space of nine

minutes between the 73rd and 81st.

Substitute Bakary Kone rubbed salt in Guinea's wounds by

adding a fifth four minutes from time.

The Elephants, runners-up in the 2006 tournament in Egypt,

were simply too strong for Guinea. Though they missed several

clear chances, Gerard Gili's side left no room for doubt about

the outcome.

The game failed to live up to expectations until the 25th

minute when Keita outpaced the defence to fire home with a low

shot from the right that went in at the far post for his second

goal of the tournament.

Ivory Coast stepped up a gear before halftime with Aruna

Dindane and Kalou being denied in quick succession by keeper

Kemoko Camara on 44 minutes.

Camara kept his team's hopes alive when he leapt to turn

away a curling Drogba shot that was heading for his top left

corner on the stroke of halftime.

Guinea were centimetres short of an equaliser shortly after

the hour when a Daouda Jabi free kick shaved Boubacar Barry's

right post.

Ivory Coast's finishing let them down again when Dindane

missed an open goal in the 67th minute.

However, Drogba showed the way two minutes later when he

slotted the ball home after being set up by Kalou's pass.

Drogba returned the favour four minutes later by setting up

his Chelsea team mate, who walked the ball into the net after

dribbling past Camara.

Kalou took his tournament tally to three with his second and

Kone completed the rout.

Guinea were without defender Dianbobo Balde, who failed to

recover in time from a thigh injury, and had to cope with the

absence of suspended forward Pascal Feindouno.