 |
| AFCON Shock Nearly Happens Before Egypt Rally to Beat Benin in Extra Time. |
Egypt were forced to dig deep to secure a spot in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals. Facing a stubborn Benin side, the Pharaohs finally emerged victorious with a 3–1 win after extra time, with Marwan Attia stealing the spotlight as the hero of the night.
The match was tense from the opening whistle. Egypt controlled possession but struggled to break down Benin’s disciplined defense. Their first clear chance came in the first half when Mohamed Hamdy’s cross deflected to Omar Marmoush, but his weak effort was cleared off the line by Yohan Roche.
After the break, Egypt came close again through Rami Rabia, only for Tamimou Ouorou to produce a brilliant goal-line block. At the other end, goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy kept Egypt level by smothering a dangerous attempt from Jodel Dossou.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 69th minute. Marwan Attia unleashed a beautiful strike from outside the penalty area after receiving a pull-back from Mohamed Hany. The ball flew into the top-left corner, giving Egypt a deserved 1–0 lead.
Just when it looked like Egypt had the match under control, Benin fought back. A poor pass from El Shenawy was intercepted by Junior Olaitan, who sent the ball into the danger area. Dossou reacted quickest and converted the rebound from close range in the 83rd minute, forcing the game into extra time.
In extra time, Egypt’s experience and composure proved decisive. Seven minutes into the first period, a short corner routine found Attia, who delivered a perfectly curled cross onto the penalty spot. Yasser Ibrahim rose highest and powered a looping header into the top corner to restore Egypt’s lead.
Egypt continued to push forward. Emam Ashour nearly extended the advantage with a dipping long-range shot that narrowly cleared the crossbar. The final blow came in stoppage time of extra time, when Mohamed Salah capped off a blistering counter-attack with a powerful strike from distance, beating Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou to seal the 3–1 win.
The result confirmed Egypt’s place in the AFCON quarter-finals.
Egypt Find a Way as Attia Makes the Difference
Statistically, the match was evenly balanced. Both teams finished with an expected goals figure of 1.22. Egypt registered more shots overall, 12 compared to Benin’s eight, with seven attempts on target.
While Salah grabbed the final goal, Marwan Attia was the standout performer. He not only scored the opening goal but also provided the crucial assist in extra time. His goal carried a low xG value of 0.09, yet its impact on the game was massive. Attia also completed 23 passes in the final third, the joint-highest in the match alongside Salah.
This match showed that Egypt don’t always have an easy path to victory. When pressure mounted and the game became difficult, their calmness and experience made the difference. And on this night, Marwan Attia delivered when it mattered most, keeping Egypt’s AFCON title hopes very much alive.