Liverpool star Mohamed Salah struck deep into extra-time as Egypt defeated Benin 3–1 to book their place in the AFCON quarter-finals after a tense Round of 16 clash in Agadir.
From kickoff, the Pharaohs tried to dictate tempo and probe the spaces, but the contest stayed tight until the breakthrough arrived midway through the second half.
The Reds’ talisman helped spark the move, linking play neatly in the final third before the ball broke for Marwan Attia, who finished confidently in the 69th minute to send the Egyptian fans roaring.
However, Benin didn’t fold. Instead, they countered like a team refusing to bow out, and Jodel Dossou found the equaliser that dragged the tie into extra-time and shifted the pressure back onto the seven-time African champions.
Then, as the pace rose again, Egypt surged forward. Yasser Ibrahim rose highest and headed home in the first period of extra-time, restoring the lead and tilting momentum once more.
From there, Hossam Hassan men managed the clock, stayed compact and waited for another chance to kill the game.
And, right at the death, the captain stepped up. With 124 minutes on the clock, Salah steadied himself from distance and smashed home the clincher, ending the contest with the calm of a player used to deciding big nights.
With the 3–1 victory secured, Egypt march into the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, where they will face either Burkina Faso or defending champions Ivory Coast and, crucially, they do so with their talisman in full stride.
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