Mohamed Salah scored with the last kick of extra time as Egypt needed every ounce of their experience to overcome a stubborn Benin side 3-1 to secure a hard-fought place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals in Agadir.
The Pharaohs, record seven-time champions seeking their first continental title since 2010, appeared to be cruising when Marwan Attia curled home a sublime 70th-minute opener. But Benin, the newly-rebranded Cheetahs who reached the knockout phase for just the second time in their history, refused to accept their fate quietly.
Against the run of play, Jodel Dossou pounced in the 83rd minute after goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy could only parry a deflected shot from Junior Olaitan, silencing the Egyptian supporters and forcing the contest into an additional half-hour.
The opening hour told a story of Egyptian dominance meeting Benin resilience. Liverpool star Salah and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush found little room to operate as Benin’s compact defensive structure frustrated the favourites. Goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou delivered an outstanding performance, denying clear chances from Marmoush, Ramy Rabia and Salah himself.
Egypt suffered a significant blow before half-time when left-back Mohamed Hamdy was stretchered off with what appeared to be a serious left knee injury after his foot connected with Dokou Dodo’s head whilst challenging for the ball. Hamdy covered his eyes as he received well-wishes from teammates, a painful moment in what would become a draining encounter.
Attia’s breakthrough seemed to have settled Egyptian nerves, his curling effort from the edge of the box finding the top left corner after Mohamed Hany’s pullback. The Pharaohs appeared destined for a routine victory, but Dossou’s equaliser set up a grandstand finish that tested Egypt’s championship credentials.
In extra time, with legs heavy and spaces opening up, Egypt finally found the control that had eluded them. Yasser Ibrahim rose to meet Attia’s cross with a towering header in the 97th minute, restoring Egypt’s advantage and seemingly settling the tie.
But it was Salah who provided the decisive moment, sealing the victory on the counter-attack in the 120th minute. After Zizo played him through, the Liverpool forward unleashed a powerful shot from outside the penalty area that flew past Dandjinou, scoring his third goal of the tournament and confirming Egypt’s progression.
For Benin, playing under their new Cheetahs nickname adopted in 2022 to replace the previous Squirrels moniker, the defeat ends a campaign that saw them advance as one of the four best third-placed teams. Despite failing to win a match during the group stage, they can take pride in pushing one of Africa’s giants to the brink.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan acknowledged his side’s struggles afterwards, admitting Benin had made them work extraordinarily hard for the victory.
The Pharaohs will face either Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals on Saturday, knowing they must produce more convincing displays if they are to end their 16-year wait for continental glory.
