Mohamed Salah sealed the deal for Egypt, scoring the third goal in the 124th minute of a 3-1 victory over Benin.
The goal came on the break, with Salah getting in behind the defense and producing a composed finish to take advantage of the goalkeeper being off his line.
The strike marked his 66th international goal for Egypt, placing him just two goals behind the national team’s all-time leading scorer, his current manager, Hossam Hassan.
With that goal, Salah also reached his 10th career goal at the Africa Cup of Nations, ranking third in Egyptian history.
He now trails only Hassan El-Shazly, who scored 12 AFCON goals, and Hossam Hassan, who finished with 11.
Salah is just two goals away from becoming a joint top scorer for Egypt in AFCON history and three goals shy of holding the record outright.
Despite the individual milestones continuing to stack up, Salah’s legacy with Egypt will ultimately be defined less by goals and more by trophies.
Outside of qualification for the 2018 and 2026 World Cups, Egypt has not achieved significant success during his tenure as the national team’s talisman.
Salah has yet to win an Africa Cup of Nations title, despite reaching the final twice, falling short against Cameroon and Senegal.
Second-place finishes carry little weight in Egypt, particularly in AFCON competition.
This is the most decorated national team in African football history, having won the tournament a record seven times.
Egypt also remains the only nation to capture three consecutive AFCON titles, accomplishing the feat from 2006 to 2010. With that level of pedigree, expectations are always championship-or-bust.
Those expectations have not been met during Salah’s reign, and as a result, the pressure surrounding him remains intense.
Now 33 years old, Salah is more likely than not competing in his final AFCON while still performing at an elite level.
That reality only heightens the urgency for him to finally deliver the one trophy that has eluded both him and the country during his era.
This tournament represents a pivotal opportunity. Capturing AFCON would not only solidify Salah’s place among Egypt’s greatest-ever players but also remove the lingering cloud that has followed his international career.
Achieving that success would allow him to approach the World Cup with a sense of relief, representing his country on the global stage without unfinished business hanging over him.
Egypt will face the winner of Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso in the quarterfinal on Saturday, January 10, in Agadir
