Mohamed Salah scored a late winner to help Egypt begin their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe on Monday night in Agadir.
The seven-time Afcon champions were made to work for the win after falling behind early, before goals from Omar Marmoush and Salah turned the match around.
Zimbabwe took a surprise lead in the 20th minute when Prince Dube finished calmly after a quick counterattack, catching Egypt off guard despite their strong start. Egypt had dominated possession early on but failed to convert several chances.
Salah was heavily involved in the opening stages, creating opportunities and testing the Zimbabwe defence from the right wing. However, Egypt’s pressure did not translate into goals, and they went into the break trailing against a disciplined Zimbabwe side.
After the restart, Egypt increased the tempo. Their persistence paid off in the 64th minute when Omar Marmoush produced a fine individual goal, racing down the left before firing a powerful shot past goalkeeper Washington Arubi to level the match.
As the game wore on, Egypt pushed for a winner but struggled to break down Zimbabwe’s compact defence. Several chances were missed, keeping the match finely balanced deep into stoppage time.
Salah finally delivered in the 91st minute. Receiving the ball inside the penalty area, he turned sharply and struck a low left-footed effort into the net to seal the victory and spark celebrations among the Egypt players.
The goal was significant for Salah, who is still chasing his first Afcon title after losing finals in 2017 and 2022. Despite not being at his sharpest throughout the match, he once again proved decisive when it mattered most.
The win gives Egypt an important start in the group stage, while Zimbabwe will take encouragement from a brave performance that tested one of Africa’s most successful teams.
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