The milestone performance capped a dominant display for the hosts, who were playing their first match under new coach Ali Maher. Egypt established control early, building a 3-0 lead by half-time thanks to goals from Nasser Maher, Omar Marmoush, and Mohamed Hany. Salah then sealed the result in the closing stages, heading home at the far post in the 84th minute before converting a penalty five minutes into stoppage time. The win moves Egypt to seven points in Group B after three matches.
Continental Action and Key Results
Elsewhere in the qualifying rounds, Morocco maintained their momentum at the top of Group A with a 5-1 thrashing of Niger in Casablanca. Achraf Hakimi, a leading contender for the African Footballer of the Year award, spearheaded the victory by scoring two of his side's five goals.
Nigeria successfully revitalized their campaign in Group L with a 3-1 win over Tanzania in Uyo. Alhassan Yusuf opened the scoring just 103 seconds into the match, and although Alphonce Msanga leveled for the visitors in the 32nd minute, substitute Tolu Arokodaro proved the difference. The Ajax Amsterdam forward, who has been in prolific form for his club, netted twice within eight minutes of his introduction to secure the points. Nigeria now sits on six points, trailing group leaders Guinea-Bissau by a single point.
Upsets and Tight Standings
The qualifying landscape saw a significant shock in Group H, where Tunisia suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Libya. Ali Youssef opened the scoring from the penalty spot just before half-time, and Hamdou Elhouni added a second in the 62nd minute. The result leaves Tunisia at the bottom of the group with two points, jeopardizing their long-standing streak of qualifying for every tournament since 1994.
Meanwhile, in Group D, South Africa and Kenya played out a dramatic 2-2 draw. Despite South Africa leading for much of the contest, Ryan Ogam struck in the final minute of regulation time to snatch a point for the visitors. Despite the late equalizer, South Africa remains at the top of the group with seven points, one clear of Guinea.
