AFCON 2025: Salah scores last-16 victory for Egypt over plucky Benin

Captain Mohamed Salah scored after 124 minutes to seal a 3-1 extra-time win for Egypt over plucky minnow Benin in an Africa Cup of Last 16 thriller in Agadir on Monday.

Marwan Attia put the Pharaohs ahead in the second half and Jodel Dossou equalized for the Cheetahs, who are 58 places below the record seven-time AFCON champions in the world rankings.

Yasser Ibrahim headed Egypt back into the lead in the first half of extra time before Salah broke away to beat goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou with a shot from outside the penalty area for his 10th AFCON goal.

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Salah, whose goals have helped Liverpool win many trophies, is looking for a first AFCON winners’ medal after finishing runners-up twice.

Record seven-time champion Egypt will stay in Agadir on Saturday to play against title holder Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals.

«Before the match I said that there are no easy teams and that Benin are difficult opponents. Egypt is a great team and I want to make my people happy,» said coach Hossam Hassan.

«We are sad about Mohamed Hamdy’s injury, which seems serious. His teammates played for him. We are mentally prepared for 90 minutes or extra time.»

Benin coach Gernot Rohr said: «What we saw was a match that was a battle, a real battle, while we were still playing football. Two teams were in a tough battle.»

«If you look at the Egyptian players, we are not at the same level. We were missing our best striker Steve Mounie. He would have helped us a lot, especially in the aerial game.»

Egypt changed 10 players from the team that drew against Angola in the final group match seven days ago, retaining only midfielder Ibrahim Adel.

Marmoush foiled

Benin were missing captain and former Premier League striker Mounie, who had not recovered from an undisclosed illness.

Egypt had a great chance to take the lead after eight minutes through Manchester City striker Omar Marmoush.

He darted forward from the Egyptian half, gained possession and stayed ahead of two pursuing defenders, but was foiled by Dandjinou, who blocked the ball with his legs and then grabbed it.

A collision between Hamdy and Rodolfo Aloko caused a long delay, which ended with the Egyptian being stretchered off the field. Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh took his place in midfield.

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An incident deep in time illustrated how wary Benin was of Salah. When the captain gained possession of the ball just outside the penalty area, he was immediately surrounded by three opponents.

Dandjinou saved Benin ten minutes into the second half when he bravely parried a close-range shot from Ramy Rabia after the ball went loose to the defender following a corner.

As the match passed the hour mark, things started to open up. Salah’s attempt to chip the ball into the net was thwarted by Dandjinou’s jump.

Then a parry from 37-year-old Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy prevented substitute Dossou from giving Benin a shock lead.

Attia ended the goalless stalemate when Marmoush pushed the ball back to the midfielder and fired it into the roof of the net with his side foot from just outside the penalty area.

However, Benin refused to accept defeat, attacked continuously and leveled after 83 minutes through 33-year-old Dossou.

El Shenawy did a great job of clearing Mohamed Tijani’s cross away from his goal, but the ball fell invitingly for Dossou and he pushed it into the net.

Egypt regained the lead after seven minutes of extra time, and this time Attia was the creator. He crossed the ball after a short corner and Ibrahim’s running header evaded Dandjinou and ended up in the net.

Salah then put the outcome beyond doubt with his third goal of the tournament.

Published on January 6, 2026