A Mohamed Salah penalty was more than enough to hand Egypt a 1-0 win over South Africa and send them through to the knockout phase of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, Afrosport reports.
The Pharaohs defeated Zimbabwe 2-1 in their group opener while Bafana Bafana defeated Angola by the same scoreline.
The decisive moment in Friday’s clash at Stade Adrar in Agadir came towards the half-time break after Khuliso Mudau committed a foul in the box. After a lengthy review by VAR, a penalty was awarded to Egypt and Salah duly converted for his 65th international goal, taking him four goals short of Hossam Hassan’s all-time record.
The seven-time AFCON champions were reduced to 10 men in added time of the first half after defender Mohamed Hany was sent off for two bookable offences.
Despite the numerical setback, Egypt held on for all three points to become the first team in Morocco to book their place in the round of 16.
Round of 16 | Spot 01. 🇪🇬
Egypt qualify for the next round of the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2025! 🌟 pic.twitter.com/gG2sXmZi2c
— TotalEnergies AFCON 2025 (@CAF_Online) December 26, 2025
They will conclude their group campaign against Angola in Agadir on Monday, while South Africa will hope to secure their spot in their final game against neighbours Zimbabwe.
