Egypt Survive Benin Battle to Reach AFCON Quarterfinals
Extra time needed after fierce Benin resistance
Egypt booked their place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals with a hard-fought 3-1 extra-time victory over Benin in Agadir. The Pharaohs were pushed to their limits by a physical and organised Benin side that refused to go quietly.
Marwan Attia finally broke the deadlock in the 68th minute, curling a fine long-range strike into the corner after Egypt had struggled to turn possession into clear chances. However, Benin responded late on when Jodel Dossou reacted quickest after Mohamed El Shenawy could only parry a deflected cross, forcing the match into extra time.
Chances missed before late drama
Egypt had created the better openings during a tense first half but lacked cutting edge. Omar Marmoush missed a golden early chance when through on goal, while another effort was cleared off the line by Yohan Roche as Benin defended desperately.
Mohamed Salah also threatened regularly, though Benin goalkeeper Saturnin Dandjinou produced a series of strong saves to keep his side level. Both teams suffered injury setbacks before the break, adding to the physical nature of the contest.
After half-time, Egypt continued to press, with Ramy Rabia denied by an excellent close-range stop from Dandjinou. Benin remained dangerous on the counter, and Dossou forced El Shenawy into a key save just before the hour mark.
Ibrahim and Salah seal progression
Extra time proved decisive. Seven minutes after the restart, Yasser Ibrahim rose brilliantly to meet an Attia delivery, sending a looping header over Dandjinou to restore Egypt’s lead.
Benin pushed forward in search of another equaliser, but this left space at the back. In the final moments, Salah broke clear and calmly finished to make it 3-1, scoring his third goal of the tournament and finally settling the contest.
Egypt advance to the quarterfinals for the third time in the last five AFCON tournaments and will remain in Agadir for their next match on January 10. While questions remain about their attacking efficiency, their experience and resilience once again proved decisive when it mattered most.
