Captain Mohamed Salah finally ended Benin’s brave but futile resistance, scoring after 124 exhausting minutes to drag Egypt into the AFCON 2025 quarter-finals with a 3–1 extra-time win in Agadir on Monday.

Marwan Attia gave the Pharaohs the lead after the break, but Benin’s fleeting dream of an upset was kept alive by Jodel Dossou’s equaliser, forcing extra time in the Moroccan coastal city.

Yasser Ibrahim restored Egypt’s advantage early in extra time before Salah clinically finished Benin’s hopes, racing clear and firing past Marcel Dandjinou from distance for his 10th AFCON goal.

Salah, a serial trophy winner with Liverpool, is still chasing his elusive first AFCON title after twice settling for silver.

Seven-time champions Egypt now remain in Agadir to face either holders Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso in Saturday’s quarter-final clash.

Egypt had rotated heavily, changing 10 players from the side that drew with Angola in their final group game, with only Ibrahim Adel retaining his place.

Like several teams already assured of knockout qualification, Egypt had treated their final group game as a warm-up, relying on squad depth rather than urgency.

Benin, meanwhile, was weakened by the absence of captain and former Premier League striker Steve Mounie, sidelined by illness.

Egypt nearly struck inside eight minutes when Omar Marmoush burst through from his own half, only to be denied by a sharp save from Dandjinou.

When the Pharaohs threatened again moments later, centre-back Yohan Roche briefly delayed the inevitable by clearing the ball off the line as it crept toward the net.