Mohamed Salah got Egypt off to a winning start in the Africa Cup of Nations by scoring late for 2-1 against Zimbabwe on Monday.
Salah captained the team in his first start for nearly a month and fired inside the bottom corner in stoppage time to spare Egypt embarrassment against a team ranked 129th in the world.
Egypt, the record seven-time Afcon champions, were thwarted for long periods in the coastal city of Agadir by Zimbabwe’s stubborn defending and an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
"We wasted several scoring chances and we didn't have luck on our side," Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said. "That's football. We were the better team throughout the match. Opening games are always difficult."
The goal marked a welcome relief for Salah, who departed for Afcon with his future at club side Liverpool in doubt after a public falling out with head coach Arne Slot.
In Group B’s early kick-off, second-half dominance by South Africa paid off when Burnley striker Lyle Foster netted on 79 minutes to deliver a 2-1 victory over Angola in Marrakesh.
The stage is now set for a top-of-the-table showdown between the Pharaohs and Bafana Bafana in Agadir on Friday.
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