Egypt secured a place in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a hard-fought 3–1 victory over Benin following extra time, in their Round of 16 clash on Monday evening.
The match ended 1–1 after regulation time, forcing both teams into extra time before the Pharaohs asserted their dominance to book their spot in the last eight.
Egypt took the lead in the 69th minute through Marwan Attia, who fired a powerful shot past the Benin goalkeeper after sustained pressure from the North African side.
However, Benin responded late in the game, with Jodel Dossou equalizing in the 83rd minute to push the contest into extra time.
In the first period of extra time, Yasser Ibrahim restored Egypt’s lead in the 97th minute, giving his side a crucial advantage.
As Benin pushed forward in search of another equalizer, Mohamed Salah sealed the win with a decisive third goal in the final seconds of the second extra-time period, confirming Egypt’s qualification.
Egypt began their AFCON 2025 campaign strongly, defeating Zimbabwe 2–1 before edging South Africa 1–0 to secure early qualification.
A goalless draw against Angola in the final group match saw the Pharaohs finish top of Group B with seven points.
Benin, meanwhile, advanced to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams after finishing third in Group D with three points, behind Senegal and DR Congo.
With this victory, Egypt continue their quest for continental glory and will now turn their focus to the quarterfinals, where they aim to build on their growing momentum in the tournament.
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