Egypt captain Mohamed Salah struck deep into extra time to seal a 3–1 victory over Benin, sending the Pharaohs into the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations after a tense last-16 clash in Agadir.
Marwan Attia had given Egypt the lead in the second half before Jodel Dossou drew Benin level to force the contest into an additional 30 minutes in the southern Moroccan coastal city.
Yasser Ibrahim restored Egypt’s advantage in the first half of extra time with a looping header, before Salah broke clear in the 124th minute and fired past goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou from outside the area to confirm the win and register his 10th AFCON goal.
The Liverpool forward, still chasing his first AFCON title after finishing runner-up twice, played a decisive role as record seven-time champions Egypt kept their campaign on track.
Egypt will remain in Agadir for Saturday’s quarter-final, where they will face either defending champions Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso.
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Head coach Rui Vitória made 10 changes to the side that drew with Angola in their final group match, retaining only midfielder Ibrahim Adel, as several teams that secured early qualification rotated their squads.
Benin were without captain and former Premier League striker Steve Mounie, who missed the match due to illness, but the Cheetahs remained competitive throughout.
Egypt came close to an early breakthrough in the eighth minute when Omar Marmoush surged forward from inside his own half, only for Dandjinou to deny him with a fine block. Benin defender Yohan Roche later cleared off the line as Egypt pressed.
A collision between Mohamed Hamdy and Rodolfo Aloko caused a lengthy stoppage, with Hamdy forced off and replaced by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh.
Despite Egypt’s greater possession in the first half, Benin stood firm, with Hamdy Fathy producing a timely sliding tackle to halt a dangerous counterattack. Salah continued to draw heavy attention, often surrounded by multiple defenders whenever he approached the box.
The match opened up after the break. Dandjinou produced another brave save to deny Ramy Rabia from close range, while Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy prevented Benin from taking a surprise lead.
The deadlock was broken when Marmoush teed up Attia, who calmly side-footed the ball into the roof of the net from outside the area. Benin responded with renewed intensity and were rewarded in the 83rd minute when Dossou pounced after El Shenawy parried a cross.
Egypt regained control in extra time as Attia delivered from a short corner, allowing Ibrahim to head home. Salah then applied the finishing touch to cap a hard-fought victory and book Egypt’s place in the last eight.
