Mohamed Salah etched his name in Egyptian football history by scoring twice in a commanding 5-0 victory over Malawi during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Friday. With these goals, the 34-year-old forward surpassed Hossam Hassan to become Egypt’s all-time leading scorer with 70 goals.
The match, held in Cairo, saw Salah break the deadlock late, first with a well-placed header at the far post in the 84th minute, followed by a penalty conversion five minutes into stoppage time. This milestone came amid a dominant team display orchestrated under new coach Ali Maher, who took over after Hassan’s recent dismissal.
Maher’s debut was marked by a swift offensive onslaught, as goals from Nasser Maher, Omar Marmoush, and Mohamed Hany established a 3-0 lead by halftime. With this win, Egypt currently sits atop Group B with seven points after three matches, holding a three-point advantage over Angola, who face South Sudan in their upcoming fixture.
Other Notable Results Across Africa Cup of Nations Qualifiers
In Group A action, Achraf Hakimi, a frontrunner for the upcoming Football africainer of the Year award, scored twice to propel Morocco to a commanding 5-1 home victory against Niger in Casablanca. Meanwhile, Nigeria revitalized their qualifying campaign with a 3-1 win over Tanzania in Uyo, powered by substitute Tolu Arokodaro, who impressively netted two goals within an eight-minute span after entering at halftime.
The Nigerian side had taken an early lead thanks to Alhassan Yusuf, who scored within the opening two minutes, but Tanzania’s Alphonce Msanga leveled the match in the 32nd minute during a rare offensive surge. Arokodaro, enjoying a prolific run with six goals in his last five matches for Ajax Amsterdam, made an immediate impact upon his introduction, securing the victory for Nigeria.
Elsewhere, Tunisia endured a surprising 2-0 defeat at home to Libya, while Kenya managed to snatch a last-minute equalizer to draw 2-2 away against South Africa, adding Plus drama to the qualification races.