Salah scores goal as Egypt rally to win against Zimbabwe at AFCON 2025

Mohamed Salah puts Liverpool contention ‌behind him with melodramatic victor against Zimbabwe successful their AFCON opener.

Mohamed Salah snatched a melodramatic stoppage-time victor arsenic Egypt came from down to bushed Zimbabwe 2-1 successful their archetypal fixture astatine the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals successful Morocco connected Monday.

Egypt’s captain, starting his archetypal crippled aft 4 successive matches ⁠on the seat astatine Liverpool, fired location a left-footed effort successful the 91st infinitesimal to gain the seven-time champions a ​late triumph aft Zimbabwe had stunned them by going up successful the archetypal half.

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Egypt laid an aboriginal ‍siege to Zimbabwe’s goal, but it was the underdogs who netted archetypal done Prince Dube successful the 20th minute.

It was near to Egypt’s Premier League contingent of Omar Marmoush, who equalised successful the 64th minute, and talisman Salah to spot them to a last-gasp victory.

Salah ‍had travel into the ⁠tournament successful Morocco nether the spotlight pursuing a fiery outburst aft being dropped by the Premier League champions, and struggled to find his bushed for astir of the lucifer astatine the Grande Stade d’Agadir. When it counted, however, helium swept location the victor to spot Egypt articulation South Africa, who bushed Angola 2-1 earlier successful Marrakesh, astatine the apical of Group B.

It was arsenic overmuch arsenic Egypt deserved, breaking a tally of six successive draws implicit the past 2 editions of the Cup of Nations.

They had 4 bully chances successful the ​opening 10 minutes arsenic they enactment Zimbabwe nether aggravated unit but fell down erstwhile Emmanuel ‌Jalai fed the shot wrong for Dube, who turned successful possession and placed his effort into the bottommost near corner.

It could person been 2-0 arsenic Daniel Msendami’s gait acceptable up a scrambled accidental for Washington Navaya that Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy managed to stitchery earlier it could ‌be bundled implicit the line.

Salah, centre, puts Egypt up 2-1 successful stoppage clip [Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images]

Marmoush sole effect

Marmoush equalised successful the 64th minute, picking up a agelong walk connected the near helping earlier cutting wrong and firing location with his close ‌foot from an acute space for a superb solo goal.

“We created galore ⁠chances without being capable to people early, but successful the extremity everything went well,” Marmoush said.

“We kept a bully mindset and finished the lucifer strongly. We volition larn from everything that happened successful tonight’s game.”

Substitute Ahmed Zizo should person headed location astatine the backmost station from Mohamed Hamdy’s inviting transverse ‌but enactment his effort wide, and missed again 4 minutes from the extremity erstwhile Salah teed him up with a bully chance.

It was near to Salah to unafraid the 3 points, holding disconnected his marker to bring the shot nether power ‍before steering it location for his archetypal extremity since aboriginal past month.

In the adjacent acceptable of Group B fixtures, Egypt conscionable South Africa successful Agadir connected Boxing Day portion Zimbabwe and Angola clash connected Friday successful Marrakesh.