CAPTAIN MOHAMED Salah scored after 124 minutes to clinch a 3-1 extra-time victory for Egypt over plucky minnows Benin in an Africa Cup of Nations last-16 thriller in Agadir on Monday.
Marwan Attia put the Pharaohs ahead in the second half, and Jodel Dossou equalised for the Cheetahs, taking the match to an additional 30 minutes in the southern Moroccan coastal city.
Yasser Ibrahim headed Egypt back in front in the first half of extra time, then Salah broke clear and beat goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou with a shot from outside the area for his 10th AFCON goal.
Salah, whose goals have helped Liverpool win many trophies, is seeking a first AFCON winners’ medal, having twice been a runner-up.
Record seven-time champions Egypt stay in Agadir to face title-holders Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso on Saturday in the quarter-finals.
Egypt changed 10 of the team that drew with Angola in their final group match seven days ago, with only midfielder Ibrahim Adel retained.
Many AFCON teams assured of qualification for the knockout stage with a match to spare, followed the example of Egypt and fielded sides composed largely of reserves.
Benin lacked their captain and former Premier League striker Steve Mounie, who had not recovered from an undisclosed illness.
Egypt had a great chance to go in front after only eight minutes through Omar Marmoush, the 26-year-old who joined Manchester City at the beginning of last year from Eintracht Frankfurt.
He darted forward from the Egyptian half, gained possession and stayed ahead of two pursuing defenders only to be foiled by Dandjinou, who blocked the ball with his legs, then grasped it.
When Egypt threatened again soon after, centre-back Yohan Roche rescued Benin, clearing the ball as it was trickling toward the net.
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- Collision -
A collision between Mohamed Hamdy and Rodolfo Aloko led to a long delay, which ended with the Egyptian being carried off the field. Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh took his place in midfield.
Mohamed Salah of Egypt celebrates scoring. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
While Egypt had more possession in the opening half, Benin held their own, and it took a superb sliding tackle from Hamdy Fathy to halt a Benin counterattack.
An incident deep in added time illustrated how wary Benin were of Salah. When the captain gained possession just outside the box, he was immediately surrounded by three opponents.
Dandjinou rescued Benin 10 minutes into the second half when he bravely parried a close-range shot from Ramy Rabia after the ball ran loose to the defender following a corner.
As the match passed the hour mark, it began to open up. A Salah attempt to chip the ball into the net was foiled by leaping Dandjinou.
Then, a parry from 37-year-old Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy prevented substitute Dossou giving Benin a shock lead.
Attia ended the goalless stalemate when Marmoush pushed the ball back to the midfielder and, from just outside the box, he side-footed it into the roof of the net.
Benin refused to accept defeat, though. They attacked constantly and levelled on 83 minutes through 33-year-old Dossou.
El Shenawy did superbly to palm a Mohamed Tijani cross away from his goal, but the ball fell invitingly for Dossou, and he pushed it into the net.
Egypt regained the lead seven minutes into extra time, and this time Attia was the creator. He crossed after a short corner, and a looping Ibrahim header evaded Dandjinou and landed in the net.
Salah then put the outcome beyond doubt with his third goal of the tournament.
Nigeria's Victor Osimhen celebrates after scoring his side's second goal. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
Elsewhere, Victor Osimhen scored twice as Nigeria made short work of Mozambique at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, cruising into the quarter-finals with a comprehensive 4-0 victory in their last-16 tie.
Ademola Lookman, a former winner of the African footballer of the year award like Osimhen, opened the scoring after 20 minutes in Fes and then helped set up the other three goals on the night.
Osimhen had started the game without wearing his trademark mask, but restored the face covering before netting Nigeria’s second goal on 25 minutes. He then scored again just after half-time before Akor Adams sealed the win.
It is the biggest winning margin in an AFCON knockout tie since Egypt hammered Algeria 4-0 in the semi-finals at the 2010 tournament in Angola.
Determined to make up for their failure to qualify for the World Cup, the Super Eagles march on to a last-eight tie on Saturday in Marrakesh against either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Those teams clash in the last 16 on Tuesday, and a victory in that game for DR Congo would offer Nigeria a chance to avenge their defeat on penalties against the Leopards in a World Cup qualifying play-off in November.
Mozambique were appearing in the knockout phase of an AFCON for the first time after advancing as one of the best third-placed sides in the group stage.
They were no match for a Nigerian team that was much-changed from their final group game, when coach Eric Chelle offered a chance to several fringe players for a 3-1 victory against Uganda.
Atalanta forward Lookman — who scored in the 3-2 win over Tunisia in the second group match — was among those brought back into the line-up, and Africa’s best player in 2024 gave his team the lead as the midway point in the first half approached.
Alex Iwobi’s through ball released Adams on the left side of the box, and his cutback was converted first-time by Lookman.
The 28-year-old then turned provider, with his cross from the left in the 25th minute being helped on by Adams for Osimhen to poke the ball in from close range.
The Galatasaray striker emerged unscathed soon after that despite going into a challenge with Witi, which saw the Mozambique player knee Osimhen in the stomach.
Lookman’s low ball across the face of the goal from the left was finished off by Osimhen to make it 3-0 in the 47th minute and end any prospect of a Mozambique comeback.
The 2023 African player of the year had gone seven AFCON matches without scoring before netting against Tunisia in the group stage — he now has three to his name at the tournament in Morocco.
Lookman was not finished for the night as he supplied Adams inside the box with quarter of an hour remaining, and the Sevilla forward rifled a shot high into the net.
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Liverpool's Mo Salah on target as Egypt advance after extra time
Updated at 21.12
Africa Cup of Nations last-16 results on Monday:
CAPTAIN MOHAMED Salah scored after 124 minutes to clinch a 3-1 extra-time victory for Egypt over plucky minnows Benin in an Africa Cup of Nations last-16 thriller in Agadir on Monday.
Marwan Attia put the Pharaohs ahead in the second half, and Jodel Dossou equalised for the Cheetahs, taking the match to an additional 30 minutes in the southern Moroccan coastal city.
Yasser Ibrahim headed Egypt back in front in the first half of extra time, then Salah broke clear and beat goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou with a shot from outside the area for his 10th AFCON goal.
Salah, whose goals have helped Liverpool win many trophies, is seeking a first AFCON winners’ medal, having twice been a runner-up.
Record seven-time champions Egypt stay in Agadir to face title-holders Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso on Saturday in the quarter-finals.
Egypt changed 10 of the team that drew with Angola in their final group match seven days ago, with only midfielder Ibrahim Adel retained.
Many AFCON teams assured of qualification for the knockout stage with a match to spare, followed the example of Egypt and fielded sides composed largely of reserves.
Benin lacked their captain and former Premier League striker Steve Mounie, who had not recovered from an undisclosed illness.
Egypt had a great chance to go in front after only eight minutes through Omar Marmoush, the 26-year-old who joined Manchester City at the beginning of last year from Eintracht Frankfurt.
He darted forward from the Egyptian half, gained possession and stayed ahead of two pursuing defenders only to be foiled by Dandjinou, who blocked the ball with his legs, then grasped it.
When Egypt threatened again soon after, centre-back Yohan Roche rescued Benin, clearing the ball as it was trickling toward the net.
- Collision -
A collision between Mohamed Hamdy and Rodolfo Aloko led to a long delay, which ended with the Egyptian being carried off the field. Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh took his place in midfield.
While Egypt had more possession in the opening half, Benin held their own, and it took a superb sliding tackle from Hamdy Fathy to halt a Benin counterattack.
An incident deep in added time illustrated how wary Benin were of Salah. When the captain gained possession just outside the box, he was immediately surrounded by three opponents.
Dandjinou rescued Benin 10 minutes into the second half when he bravely parried a close-range shot from Ramy Rabia after the ball ran loose to the defender following a corner.
As the match passed the hour mark, it began to open up. A Salah attempt to chip the ball into the net was foiled by leaping Dandjinou.
Then, a parry from 37-year-old Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy prevented substitute Dossou giving Benin a shock lead.
Attia ended the goalless stalemate when Marmoush pushed the ball back to the midfielder and, from just outside the box, he side-footed it into the roof of the net.
Benin refused to accept defeat, though. They attacked constantly and levelled on 83 minutes through 33-year-old Dossou.
El Shenawy did superbly to palm a Mohamed Tijani cross away from his goal, but the ball fell invitingly for Dossou, and he pushed it into the net.
Egypt regained the lead seven minutes into extra time, and this time Attia was the creator. He crossed after a short corner, and a looping Ibrahim header evaded Dandjinou and landed in the net.
Salah then put the outcome beyond doubt with his third goal of the tournament.
Elsewhere, Victor Osimhen scored twice as Nigeria made short work of Mozambique at the Africa Cup of Nations on Monday, cruising into the quarter-finals with a comprehensive 4-0 victory in their last-16 tie.
Ademola Lookman, a former winner of the African footballer of the year award like Osimhen, opened the scoring after 20 minutes in Fes and then helped set up the other three goals on the night.
Osimhen had started the game without wearing his trademark mask, but restored the face covering before netting Nigeria’s second goal on 25 minutes. He then scored again just after half-time before Akor Adams sealed the win.
It is the biggest winning margin in an AFCON knockout tie since Egypt hammered Algeria 4-0 in the semi-finals at the 2010 tournament in Angola.
Determined to make up for their failure to qualify for the World Cup, the Super Eagles march on to a last-eight tie on Saturday in Marrakesh against either Algeria or the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Those teams clash in the last 16 on Tuesday, and a victory in that game for DR Congo would offer Nigeria a chance to avenge their defeat on penalties against the Leopards in a World Cup qualifying play-off in November.
Mozambique were appearing in the knockout phase of an AFCON for the first time after advancing as one of the best third-placed sides in the group stage.
They were no match for a Nigerian team that was much-changed from their final group game, when coach Eric Chelle offered a chance to several fringe players for a 3-1 victory against Uganda.
Atalanta forward Lookman — who scored in the 3-2 win over Tunisia in the second group match — was among those brought back into the line-up, and Africa’s best player in 2024 gave his team the lead as the midway point in the first half approached.
Alex Iwobi’s through ball released Adams on the left side of the box, and his cutback was converted first-time by Lookman.
The 28-year-old then turned provider, with his cross from the left in the 25th minute being helped on by Adams for Osimhen to poke the ball in from close range.
The Galatasaray striker emerged unscathed soon after that despite going into a challenge with Witi, which saw the Mozambique player knee Osimhen in the stomach.
Lookman’s low ball across the face of the goal from the left was finished off by Osimhen to make it 3-0 in the 47th minute and end any prospect of a Mozambique comeback.
The 2023 African player of the year had gone seven AFCON matches without scoring before netting against Tunisia in the group stage — he now has three to his name at the tournament in Morocco.
Lookman was not finished for the night as he supplied Adams inside the box with quarter of an hour remaining, and the Sevilla forward rifled a shot high into the net.
– © AFP 2026
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