Egypt v Benin live: Mohamed Salah scores Egypt’s third as Pharaohs win in extra time of Afcon last-16
Egypt 3-1 Benin: Mohamed Salah put the icing on the cake for Pharaohs in extra time - but the seven-time champions were made to work hard for a place in the quarter-finals
Egypt scraped into the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with an extra-time 3-1 victory over underdogs Benin.
Mohamed Salah’s Pharaohs were heavy favourites, having qualified from the group stage with a game to spare, but the Cheetahs went toe to toe with the seven-time champions over more than 120 minutes in Agadir.
Marwan Attia broke the deadlock in the 69th minute with a stunning strike from range after latching on to a Mohamed Hany cutback.
But the Cheetahs refused to let their heads drop after going behind. Egypt keeper Mohamed El Shenawy palmed away a superb Junior Olaitan cross which looked destined for the top corner, but was powerless to stop substitute Jodel Dossou tapping in the rebound for an 83rd-minute equaliser.
But a well-worked corner routine in the first half of extra half broke Benin’s hearts, as Yasser Ibrahim blasted home a fine header, and as Benin wilted in the closing stages Mohamed Salah fired in Egypt’s third with almost the last kick of the game.
Follow all the latest updates below:
Salah on the scoresheet
That’s Salah’s 10th Afcon goal and third of this edition.
Egypt beat Benin 3-1
Weren’t they made to work hard for it, though.
Gutting for Benin, who acquitted themselves very well and will have been dreaming of an upset - but they wilted in extra time and could do nothing about that lethal Salah counter-attack.
GOAL! Egypt 3-1 Benin
‘120+3: Rabia stays down but play continues... Egypt counter, it’s Salah one-on-one with the keeper, Dandjinou comes off his line but Salah fires into the back of the net!
It’s literally the last kick of the game.
Egypt 2-1 Benin
‘120+2: Rabia makes a fine challenge at the byline and adds in some theatrics with a touch of cramp.
Egypt 2-1 Benin
‘120+2: Egypt build down the right flank again but Salah and Ashour fluff their lines in an attempted one-two.
Egypt 2-1 Benin
‘120: Salah attempts another cross in... it’s headed away. He comes again though; he certainly looks full of beans still.
Egypt have players forward now, Salah lays it off for Ashour, but he blasts over the bar!
Three final minutes added on.
Egypt 2-1 Benin
‘119: Egypt waste some more time with a change: Marmoush comes off for Mohamed.
Egypt 2-1 Benin
‘118: A foul on Salah brings an end to a Benin attack... and now Ahlinvi goes into the book for quite literally ripping Salah’s shirt into piece with a shirt-pull lasting about 20 yards. Desperate times.
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