Captain Mohamed Salah scored with the final kick of the match to secure a hard-fought 3–1 extra-time victory for Egypt over Benin on Monday, sending the record seven-time champions into the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The Pharaohs were forced to dig deep at the Adrar Stadium after a resilient Benin side, known as the Cheetahs, cancelled out Marwan Attia’s second-half opener to force an additional 30 minutes of play. Goals from defender Yasser Ibrahim and a clinical breakaway finish from Salah eventually broke the deadlock, ending Benin's historic run in the tournament.
Egypt dominated possession throughout the regulation 90 minutes but found it difficult to penetrate a compact Beninese defence led by goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 70th minute when midfielder Marwan Attia unleashed a stunning 25-metre strike that curled into the top corner, following a fluid exchange between Salah and Mohamed Hany.
The lead appeared secure until the 83rd minute when Benin capitalised on a rare defensive lapse. A deflected cross from Junior Olaitan forced a difficult save from Egyptian veteran Mohamed El Shenawy, but Jodel Dossou was the fastest to react, bundling the rebound into the net to stun the North African favourites and equalise.
The tension carried into extra time, where Egypt’s superior depth and experience began to tell. In the 97th minute, Yasser Ibrahim rose highest to meet a pinpoint cross from Attia following a short-corner routine, looping a header over Dandjinou to restore Egypt's advantage.
As Benin committed every player forward in a desperate search for a second equaliser during the dying seconds, Egypt launched a devastating counter-attack. Salah carried the ball from his own half, outpaced the weary defence, and calmly dinked the ball over the advancing goalkeeper in the 124th minute to seal the result.
Benin, coached by Gernot Rohr, exits the competition having achieved their best-ever finish by reaching the knockout stages and securing their first-ever 90-minute win at an AFCON finals during the group stage. Despite the loss, the Cheetahs earned widespread praise for their defensive discipline and "never-say-die" spirit against the continent's most successful side.
Prior to the match, Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan had warned that the tie would be "like an Africa Cup final" and praised Benin’s growth as a footballing nation. "Our goal is to get past Benin, a team we respect and appreciate," Hassan told reporters. "Their qualification for the Round of 16 was certainly not a coincidence."
Egypt now remains in Agadir to prepare for a high-stakes quarter-final clash scheduled for Saturday, January 10. They will face the winner of the Round of 16 match between defending champions Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso.
