The Pharaohs of Egypt yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), claiming a hard-fought 3-1 victory over the Cheetahs of Benin Republic after extra time to extend their unbeaten head to head record to five games.
With scores at 1-1 after full-time, Egypt scored two more goals in the seventh minute and 20th minute of the extra time through Yasser Ibrahim and Mohamed Salah respectively to earn the Pharaohs the quarter-final ticket.
The unconvincing fashion in which both teams advanced from the group stages suggested this encounter may not be a classic, and the first half was certainly not one that will live long in the memory.
That said, Egypt did start relatively brightly, and they could have taken the lead with only eight minutes on the clock when a through ball put Omar Marmoush one-on-one with Marcel Dandjinou, but after electing not to shoot, the forward was dispossessed by the onrushing goalkeeper.
With the Cheetah’s primary focus on staying in the contest during the first half, they posed very little threat from an attacking perspective. Their only moment of note came when Junior Olaitan’s free-kick from distance was gathered by Mohamed El Shenawy.
Not long after, Egypt threatened to take the lead when a loose ball inside the area was poked goalwards by Marmoush, but he couldn’t produce the required power, and the effort was blocked on its path to goal.
