Egypt 1–0 South Africa: Salah’s Penalty Seals Group B Top Spot for Pharaohs

Mohamed Salah once again proved decisive as Egypt sealed top spot in Group B of the Africa Cup of Nations with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over South Africa.

Just three days after his injury-time winner against Zimbabwe, Salah stepped up for his country once more, converting a first-half penalty after being caught by the stray arm of Khuliso Mudau inside the box.

The goal was his ninth at AFCON since making his debut in 2017, more than any other player in that period, while only Sadio Mané has been involved in more goals overall.

Egypt’s task was made more difficult moments later when Mohamed Hany received his second yellow card of the match, reducing the Pharaohs to ten men.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, they held firm defensively to protect their lead and secure a result that guarantees them first place in the group.

The victory moves Egypt three points clear of South Africa, and under AFCON’s head-to-head tiebreaker rules, their win ensures they cannot be overtaken even if results in the final round of fixtures go against them.

Angola, with just one point from their opening two matches, await Egypt in their last group game on December 29, but Salah and his teammates already know their path into the knockout stages is secure.