Egypt Overcome Brave Benin in Extra-Time Thriller
In a thrilling Round of 16 encounter at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt secured their place in the quarter-finals with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Benin after extra time. The match, held at the Grand Stade d’Agadir on Monday evening, saw the seven-time champions pushed to their limits by a resilient Cheetahs side that refused to go down without a fight.
The first half was characterized by a cautious approach from both teams. Egypt dominated ball possession but struggled to penetrate a disciplined Beninese defense led by goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou. The most significant moment of the opening period was an unfortunate one for the Pharaohs, as left-back Mohamed Hamdy had to be stretchered off with a serious knee injury, forcing an early tactical adjustment from coach Hossam Hassan.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 69th minute through a moment of individual brilliance. Marwan Attia received a clever cutback from Mohamed Hany on the edge of the area and unleashed a thunderous strike that curled into the top corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. However, Benin stunned the favorites in the 83rd minute when Jodel Dossou pounced on a loose ball in the box after Mohamed El Shenawy had struggled to deal with a deflected cross. The equalizer sent the Beninese supporters into a frenzy and forced the match into an additional thirty minutes.
Egypt’s depth and tournament experience eventually proved decisive in extra time. In the 97th minute, Yasser Ibrahim rose highest during a well-worked short corner routine to loop a header over the reach of Dandjinou, restoring Egypt’s lead. As the second period of extra time wound down, Benin committed almost every player forward in a desperate search for another equalizer. This left them vulnerable to the counter-attack, and in the final minute of stoppage time, Mohamed Salah broke free from inside his own half. The captain calmly lifted the ball over the advancing goalkeeper to seal the 3-1 win with the final kick of the game.
With this victory, Egypt advances to a highly anticipated quarter-final clash against either Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso. While Benin exits the tournament, they do so with immense pride, having forced the continent’s most successful team into a grueling 120-minute battle.
