Egypt had to work hard to secure a spot in the quarter-finals, facing a resilient Benin team that pushed them into extra time. In the end, Mohamed Salah’s squad prevailed, winning 3-1.

In AFCON 2025, no match is easy, and the Egyptians learned this in the Round of 16. Held at bay by a determined Benin side, the Pharaohs needed extra time to finally overcome their opponents with a 3-1 victory.

At first, Egypt set the pace of the game and appeared the more dangerous team against a Benin side that initially seemed a bit hesitant.

However, in the 69th minute, Marwan Attia broke the deadlock with a precise strike into the top corner, following a cut-back from Mohamed Hany. At that point, victory appeared to be slowly shaping up for the Pharaohs.

A Resilient Benin

But the men of Gernot Rohr fought back, taking control of the match, and were rewarded in the 83rd minute with a goal from Jodel Dossou, who exploited his speed to level the score. Extra time was looming.

In the 97th minute, Yasser Ibrahim rose to meet a cross and lobbed the goalkeeper to put the Pharaohs ahead, crushing Benin’s hopes.

Finally, Mohamed Salah sealed the win in the dying moments of the game (120+4 minutes) with a counter-attack goal.

In the quarter-finals, Egypt will face either Côte d’Ivoire or Burkina Faso, who play each other this Tuesday.