Salah’s Late Goal Secures Victory for Egypt in Africa Cup of Nations Opener

Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah scored a dramatic stoppage-time goal, propelling Egypt to a 2-1 victory over Zimbabwe in their Africa Cup of Nations campaign opener on Monday.

Zimbabwe took an unexpected lead early in the match, with Prince Dube converting Emmanuel Jalai’s cross in the 20th minute. However, Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush equalized in the second half, before Salah secured the win with his decisive goal, marking a promising start for the seven-time champions.

An eighth title for Egypt would not only extend their record but also grant Mohamed Salah his first Africa Cup of Nations title, despite the 33-year-old star having never won this prestigious tournament.

Egypt’s coach, Hossam Hassan, acknowledged the challenges of the match, stating, “We wasted several scoring chances and we didn’t have luck on our side. That’s football. We were the better team throughout the match. Opening games are always difficult.”

Salah captained the team in his first start since November 26, following Liverpool’s defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League. His pre-tournament tensions with Liverpool manager Arne Slot, which led to his absence from the Champions League squad against Inter Milan, added to the narrative surrounding his performance.

Egypt faced an early setback when midfielder Emam Ashour was injured, leaving the pitch in tears and casting doubt on his tournament participation. Despite this, Salah motivated his teammates in the pursuit of victory.

The match was intense, with Egypt’s Marmoush having a fierce strike saved and Salah, Marmoush, and Mohamed all seeing their efforts blocked before the halftime break. The breakthrough came in the 64th minute when Marmoush found the net from a challenging angle, setting the stage for Salah’s late winner that secured three points in Group B.

In other matches on Monday, South Africa overcame Angola 2-1, ending a six-game winless streak against them. Lyle Foster scored the decisive goal, sealing a hard-fought victory for the Bafana Bafana.

In an earlier game in Casablanca, Mali and Zambia played to a 1-1 draw. Mali dominated the match but missed a penalty before Lassine Sinayoko scored for Mali. Zambia’s Patson Daka equalized in stoppage time, ensuring both teams shared the points. Host nation Morocco currently leads the group after their 2-0 victory over Comoros on Sunday.

This report includes information from The Associated Press.