Mohamed Salah scored in added time to snatch a 2-1 victory for record seven-time champions Egypt over lowly ranked Zimbabwe in an Africa Cup of Nations Group B thriller in Agadir on Monday.
Salah came to Morocco after not starting in five consecutive Liverpool matches, with his omission leading to an outburst against manager Arne Slot.
But his uncertain future at Anfield was forgotten as he pounced on a loose ball inside the box and beat 40-year-old Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi with a perfectly placed shot into the corner.
What was expected to be a comfortable start for Egypt in Group B proved anything but as Prince Dube gave Zimbabwe a 20th-minute lead, they retained it until Omar Marmoush equalised after 63 minutes.
Victory leaves Egypt level on three points after the first series of group matches with South Africa, who beat Angola 2-1 in Marrakesh earlier.
Egypt were quick to apply pressure, forcing all 11 Zimbabweans to retreat deep into their half at the 40,000-seat stadium in the southern coastal city.
Salah delivered a dangerous cross that did not bear fruit, then had a close-range shot blocked as the Pharaohs laid siege to the Warriors’ goalmouth.
Then, 20 minutes into the first half, Zimbabwe silenced the largely Egypt-supporting crowd by taking the lead.
Emmanuel Jalai crossed into the box, Dube won possession, turned and fired a low shot past veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy into the corner of the net.
It could have been even worse for Egypt as the ball ran loose in their six-yard area soon after, before El Shenawy finally grasped it.
Egypt coach and former star Hossam Hassan grew increasingly frustrated on the touchline as he shouted instructions.
There was a moment of hope for the former champions when Marmoush beat an offside trap, but Arubi dashed out of his area, won the race for possession and cleared.
Marmoush went close as half-time drew near, unleashing a long-range shot that produced a superb finger-tip save from Arubi.
As the frustration of the Egyptians grew, former Aston Villa striker Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan took a dive inside the box and was yellow-carded by the Senegalese referee.
Mohamed Salah was in perpetual motion and had a half-chance in added time at the end of the opening half, but Zimbabwe blocked his attempt.
The second half was a repeat of the first, with endless Egyptian pressure and heroic Zimbabwean defending.
After several near misses, Egypt levelled on 63 minutes when Marmoush got behind the defence, picked up a pass, darted forward and slammed the ball into the net from a tight angle.
Salah found himself one-on-one with a defender 12 minutes from the end of regular time, but his hurried shot flew over. Then came his added-time winner.
Ahead of the match, Salah had shown no signs of being distracted by the uncertainty surrounding his future at Liverpool, according to Hassan, an AFCON winner as a player.
“I feel his motivation is very, very strong. Salah is an icon and will remain so. He is one of the best players in the world, and I support him in everything he does,” said Hassan.
Salah did not start any of the last five Liverpool games before the AFCON, and things came to a head following a Premier League draw at Leeds United when he claimed he had been “thrown under the bus” by Slot.
That suggested a move away from the troubled league champions during the January transfer window was a real possibility.
Salah wants to lead Egypt to a record-extending eighth AFCON title. He has never won the continental title, coming closest by being part of the teams that were runners-up in 2017 and 2022.
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