A clinical penalty from Mohamed Salah propelled Egypt into the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) knockout stages as they secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over South Africa on Friday.
With this win, Egypt becomes the first team to qualify for the next round, topping Group B with a game to spare. The decisive moment came in the first half when Salah was fouled in the box by defender Khuliso Mudau.
The Liverpool star calmly converted the resulting spot-kick, marking his 65th international goal and second of the tournament. However, the "Pharaohs" were forced into a defensive masterclass after right-back Mohamed Hany was sent off following a second yellow card for a stamp on Teboho Mokoena just before halftime.
Playing with 10 men for the entire second half, Egypt withstood a relentless South African onslaught. Despite having 17 shots in the second period, Hugo Broos’s side lacked the clinical edge to equalize.
South Africa were also denied a penalty following a lengthy VAR review for a handball, leaving them frustrated as they suffered their first competitive defeat in nearly two years. Veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy proved heroic for Egypt, making several crucial saves to preserve the narrow lead.
