Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah heaped praise on the Pharaohs' physical performance after their 3-1 victory over Benin in the round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) on Monday in a 120 minutes game
Marwan Attia opened the scoring in the 69th minute before substitute Jodel Dossou equalised for Benin in the 83rd minute, sending the match into extra time.
In the 97th minute, Attia provided a precise cross that defender Yasser Ibrahim headed home to restore Egypt’s lead, and Salah added a late goal in the second half of extra time to seal the win.
Egypt will face the winner of the quarter-final clash between defending champions Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso on Saturday.
“We were stronger physically during the game, but it was a balanced contest between the two sides,” Salah told BeIN Sports after the match.
“I am happy to secure the victory and book a place in the quarter-finals.”
The Liverpool forward said Egypt are not among the top favourites for the title, highlighting the contrast between the Pharaohs’ squad and other contenders, who rely heavily on foreign-based players.
Of Egypt’s 28-man squad, only three players are based in Europe, with a further three playing in Gulf leagues.
“All football fans speak about Morocco as a title contender, but Egypt is also a strong contender, even though most of our squad plays in the domestic league,” he concluded.
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