Salah seals Egypt qualification with win against South Africa at AFCON 2025

Mohamed Salah has scored arsenic 10-man Egypt person beaten South Africa 1-0 successful Agadir to go the archetypal qualifiers for the knockout signifier of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Liverpool prima converted a punishment connected 45 minutes connected Friday, and South Africa were denied a spot footwear precocious successful the 2nd fractional erstwhile Yasser Ibrahim appeared to grip the shot wrong the box.

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Salah came to Morocco aft not starting successful 5 Liverpool matches and his omission starring to an outburst against manager Arne Slot.

Egypt were reduced to 10 men successful first-half added clip erstwhile close backmost Mohamed Hany was shown a 2nd yellowish paper for a stamp, followed by a red.

After 2 rounds successful Group B, grounds seven-time champions Egypt person six points and are guaranteed a top-two decorativeness successful the radical signifier and a spot successful the circular of 16.

South Africa person 3 points and Angola and Zimbabwe 1 each aft they drew 1-1 successful Marrakesh earlier connected Friday.

The archetypal accidental fell to Salah aft 11 minutes, but helium could not determination guardant rapidly capable to link with a debased transverse from Hany.

That the bulk of the assemblage were supporting the Pharaohs became evident soon aft erstwhile the Burundi referee ignored Zizo’s appeals for a escaped footwear and large whistling enveloped the stadium.

When Salah delivered a escaped footwear into the bosom of the South African area, 3 Egyptians darted forward, but nary could link with the ball.

Midway done the opening half, a signifier had developed. Egypt were pushing guardant regularly portion South Africa defended with calmness and coagulated tackling.

Salah shoots from the punishment spot to people the team’s victor during the Africa Cup of Nations Group B lucifer against South Africa [Franck Fife/AFP]

When South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena fouled Omar Marmoush conscionable extracurricular the D, helium was yellow-carded. However, the Manchester City striker fired the resultant escaped footwear wide.

As the archetypal fractional progressed, the prima broke retired successful the confederate coastal metropolis – a invited show for players and spectators with galore earlier radical matches staged successful torrential rain.

A uncommon South Africa onslaught ended disappointingly arsenic Lyle Foster struck a anemic changeable that was comfortably saved by 37-year-old Mohamed El Shenawy.

Awarded a escaped footwear adjacent to the touchline, South Africa performed an intricate, multipass determination that ended tamely arsenic El Shenawy clutched a cross.

Salah was being intimately policed by Aubrey Modiba, and arsenic half-time drew near, the Liverpool prima retreated into the Egyptian fractional to clasp possession.

Then, arsenic the Egypt skipper chased a escaped shot with Khuliso Mudau, the South African close backmost raised his near arm, striking Salah’s near eye.

Amid Egyptian protests, the Burundian referee viewed the incidental connected a VAR show and pointed to the punishment spot.

A lengthy hold earlier the footwear was taken could not person eased the nerves of Salah, but helium comfortably converted the punishment arsenic Ronwen Williams dived successful the incorrect direction.

More play erupted successful added clip erstwhile Hany stamped connected Mokoena, starring to a 2nd yellowish paper for the defender.

South Africa, with a numerical advantage, attacked much arsenic the 2nd fractional progressed, but Egypt came adjacent to a 2nd extremity with Williams foiling substitute Emam Ashour aft a speedy escaped kick.

El Shenawy displayed his agility with 15 minutes remaining, utilizing his close manus to extremity to information a debased changeable from Foster. It was 1 of respective saves that kept Egypt ahead.

Angola and Zimbabwe support live AFCON hopes

Veteran Knowledge Musona scored arsenic Zimbabwe came from down to gully 1-1 with Angola successful Marrakesh to footwear disconnected the 2nd circular of AFCON matches earlier successful the day.

Gelson Dala enactment Angola up midway done the archetypal half, and recalled Musona levelled heavy successful first-half added time.

A gully successful Group B suited neither team, leaving some 2 points adrift of associated leaders Egypt and South Africa aft having played 1 lucifer more.

Only the apical 2 finishers successful each radical automatically suffice for the knockout phase. The champion 4 third-placed teams from the six mini-leagues besides volition advance.

Bill Antonio wasted a bully accidental to springiness Zimbabwe an aboriginal pb erstwhile helium blazed wide from adjacent scope earlier a tiny crowd.

Angola recovered rapidly to found power and took the pb aft 24 minutes done Qatar-based striker Dala.

A superb lobbed walk from To Carneiro dropped successful beforehand of Dala wrong the box, and helium squeezed the shot betwixt the adjacent station and 40-year-old goalkeeper Washington Arubi.

Musona, 1 of 4 changes to the Zimbabwe lineup aft a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to Egypt successful Agadir 4 days earlier, became progressively progressive arsenic the Warriors sought an equaliser.

Musona wasted a escaped footwear accidental by hitting the shot into the antiaircraft wall, past changeable wide, overmuch to the vexation of Romanian manager Marian Marinica, who repeatedly shook his head.

Hugo Marques, the 39-year-old Angola goalkeeper, had his caput heavy bandaged earlier continuing aft a collision with an opponent.

The perseverance of Musona yet paid disconnected six minutes into added clip astatine the extremity of the opening fractional erstwhile helium equalised.

After Angola were dispossessed successful midfield, Zimbabwe counterattacked swiftly, and a superb walk recovered Musona wrong the box.

He struck a dilatory changeable betwixt the legs of Carneiro and conscionable wide of the outstretched close limb of Marques into the net.

As some sides sought a 2nd extremity and the lead, Marques rescued Angola 12 minutes from the extremity of regular clip with an acrobatic one-hand prevention of an effort by substitute Tawanda Chirewa.