A dramatic stoppage-time strike from captain Mohamed Salah rescued Egypt from a stumbling start to their AFCON 2025 campaign, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over a resilient Zimbabwe at Le Grand Stade Agadir.
While the Liverpool star had been kept quiet for much of the evening, he proved his world-class caliber when it mattered most, pouncing on a late rebound to ensure Hossam Hassan’s side walked away with all three points.
Egypt entered the match as heavy favorites and dominated the opening exchanges. Opportunities fell early to Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’ and Emam Ashour, but a lack of clinical finishing kept the scoreline level.
The wastefulness proved costly in the 20th minute. Zimbabwe’s Prince Dube silenced the Egyptian supporters, ghosting past the defense to meet Emmanuel Jalai’s cross and tapping home to give the Warriors a shock lead.
Sensing the game slipping away, manager Hossam Hassan made a bold tactical move just 33 minutes in. He withdrew midfielder Emam Ashour for striker Mostafa Mohamed, shifting Omar Marmoush into a more central role.
The adjustment revitalized the attack. Marmoush, the Manchester City winger, became a constant menace, testing the Zimbabwean goalkeeper repeatedly before and after the halftime interval.
The persistence finally paid off in the 64th minute. Marmoush showcased his technical brilliance, firing a powerful shot from an acute angle into the roof of the net to draw the Pharaohs level.
As the clock ticked deep into stoppage time, it appeared Egypt would have to settle for a frustrating draw. However, in the dying moments of the match, a frantic sequence in the box saw the ball fall to Mohamed Salah. The captain made no mistake from close range, slotting the ball home to spark wild celebrations from the Egyptian bench.
“Egypt must learn from missed chances,” manager Hossam Hassan remarked post-match, acknowledging that while the result was positive, the performance left room for improvement.
The victory places Egypt at the top of the group, level with South Africa, who secured a win against Angola earlier in the day.
The Pharaohs now turn their attention to a massive showdown against Bafana Bafana this Friday, a match that could potentially decide the top spot in the group. Zimbabwe will look to bounce back when they face Angola.
Final Score: Egypt 2 – 1 Zimbabwe
Scorers: Marmoush (64’), Salah (90+’) | Dube (20’)
