Mohamed Salah scored a dramatic late winner as Egypt defeated Zimbabwe 2-1 in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco on Monday.

The Egyptian captain, making his first start after a spell on the bench at Liverpool, found the net in the 91st minute, securing a victory for the seven-time champions after Zimbabwe had taken a surprise lead.

Despite early pressure from Egypt, Zimbabwe broke the deadlock in the 20th minute through Prince Dube. Emmanuel Jalai provided the assist, feeding Dube who expertly placed his shot into the bottom left corner.

Egypt’s comeback was spearheaded by their Premier League players. Omar Marmoush equalised in the 64th minute with a stunning solo effort, cutting in from the left and firing home with his right foot.

Salah, who entered the tournament amidst scrutiny following a recent disagreement with his club manager, initially struggled to impose himself on the game at the Grande Stade d’Agadir.

However, when it mattered most, he delivered, slotting home the winner and putting Egypt level with South Africa at the top of Group B. South Africa had earlier defeated Angola 2-1 in Marrakech.

This victory ended a frustrating run of six consecutive draws for Egypt in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Zimbabwe had a chance to extend their lead, but Egypt goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy was alert to deny Washington Navaya after a quick break from Daniel Msendami.

MARMOUSH SOLO EFFORT

“We created many chances without being able to score early, but in the end everything went well,” Marmoush said after the match. “We kept a good mindset and finished the match strongly. We will learn from everything that happened in tonight’s game.”

Egypt’s Ahmed Zizo came close to adding a third, missing two clear opportunities late in the game – one header and one after being set up by Salah.

Ultimately, it was Salah who had the final say, controlling the ball amidst pressure and calmly steering it past the Zimbabwean goalkeeper for his first goal in over a month.

Egypt will next face South Africa in Agadir on Boxing Day, while Zimbabwe will take on Angola in Marrakech on Friday.

Image Source: MYJOYONLINE