Mohamed Salah believes Egypt should not be labelled as favourites to win AFCON despite their win on Monday.
Egypt progressed into the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after earning a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Benin after playing 120 minutes of football.
A dull first half saw the Pharaohs struggle to break down Benin's resolute defense, except for Omar Marmoush's clear-cut opportunity.
The Manchester City forward was sent through on goal by a sublime ball from Salah but failed to convert his chance.
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Following the break, the momentum didn't change much as Benin managed to keep Salah and co. at bay.
Despite that, Marwan Ateya stepped up for Egypt in the 69th minute. The holding midfielder's long-range strike broke the deadlock and put the record AFCON champions a goal ahead.
Their lead however was cancelled out with seven minutes remaining to full-time. Benin took advantage of Egypt's nervy defending to level the scoring before the game headed to extra time.
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A frustrating night for Egypt was ultimately saved by two of their best players in the tournament so far.
It was Yasser Ibrahim's towering header that restored the advantage for Egypt. Salah netted his side's third in the final seconds of the game.
The win meant that Egypt are now set to meet the victor between Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals.
"I would say physically we were a little bit better," Salah said via beIN Sports. "There is no easy game in Africa. The level is quite similar.
"You won't find teams losing by four or five goals. I am looking forward to keeping our structure, and I am glad we managed to win today."
After scoring the winner, the Liverpool ace was also asked about Egypt's chances in the tournament. However, he opted to play down talks of them being 'favourites' to win the competition.
"I don't think we are the favourites [to win AFCON]," he continued.
"We have a young squad. Most of us play in the Egyptian league, but we want to do our best and will see how far we can go. This is what I can say.
"When I was young, I was dreaming to play in this level. So, it's an honour for me," he added.
