AFCON 2025: Salah Secures Egypt’s Quarterfinal Spot as Osimhen Shines for Nigeria
Mohamed Salah delivered a dramatic extra-time goal, sealing a 3-1 victory for Egypt over Benin on Monday, propelling the Pharaohs into the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen starred for Nigeria, scoring twice as the Super Eagles cruised to a convincing 4-0 win against Mozambique in their last-16 clash in Fes.
In a tense matchup, Salah, the captain and Liverpool superstar, broke the deadlock after 124 minutes to secure the win for Egypt. The match saw Marwan Attia open the scoring in the 69th minute, beautifully finishing from just outside the box after a precise assist from Mohamed Hany.
Despite Egypt’s significant advantage in world ranking—57 places above Benin—the minnows struck back in the 83rd minute when Jodel Dossou equalized from close range, sending the match to extra time. The Pharaohs were determined to avoid a repeat of their 2024 fate, where they were eliminated in the last 16 via penalties against the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Yasser Ibrahim quickly restored Egypt’s lead seven minutes into extra time, heading home before Salah capped off the night with a breakaway goal, marking his third strike of the tournament.
In the second match of the evening, Nigeria showcased their strength as they dismantled Mozambique in a torrential downpour. Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman played a pivotal role, contributing to all four goals, beginning with his own in the 20th minute from an assist by Akor Adams.
Osimhen, who forewent his usual face mask, scored Nigeria’s second goal just five minutes later, converting a cross from Lookman. The Galatasaray forward added to his tally shortly after halftime, netting his third goal in three games.
Lookman continued his impressive outing, setting up Adams for the fourth goal, solidifying the Super Eagles’ dominance. The 4-0 victory marks Nigeria’s biggest win in an AFCON knockout match since Egypt defeated Algeria 4-0 in the 2010 semifinals.
“I am very happy. It was a good performance from the team, scoring four goals. There’s a lot to be pleased with. Hopefully, we can keep up the good work,” Lookman said after being named man of the match.
While Mozambique exits the tournament, they can be proud of reaching the knockout stage for the first time. Nigeria, eager to make up for their failure to qualify for the World Cup, will face either Algeria or DR Congo in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Marrakesh.
The knockout stage continues, with the final last-16 matches taking place on Tuesday, featuring Algeria against DR Congo and Ivory Coast facing Burkina Faso.
