A late strike from Mohamed Salah spared Egypt’s blushes and broke Zimbabwean resistance as the Pharaohs came from behind to secure a 2–1 victory in their opening African Cup of Nations (AFCON) match.

As expected, Egypt asserted control from the outset, dominating possession for the opening 20 minutes with Salah at the heart of everything. The Liverpool star twice delivered inviting crosses toward the far post, the first of which forced Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi to tip Trézéguet’s header onto the crossbar.

Moments later, Salah repeated the trick, this time picking out Emam Ashour in space, but the midfielder volleyed wastefully over the bar.

Despite being largely pinned back, Zimbabwe struck with their first meaningful attack. Prince Dube showed excellent composure to bring down Emmanuel Jalai’s pass inside the area before calmly slotting past Ahmed El Shenawy to stun the seven-time champions.

Egypt responded with intensity but struggled to find a breakthrough before the interval. Omar Marmoush unleashed a powerful effort from distance that Arubi pushed over the bar, while Salah fired over from the edge of the box just before half-time.

The pressure told after the restart, as Egypt’s dominance eventually yielded an equaliser. A long ball released Marmoush down the left flank, and the Manchester City forward surged into the area before smashing his finish into the roof of the net.

Although the goal finally breached Zimbabwe’s stubborn defence, the underdogs refused to relent. Substitute Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” missed a golden opportunity to complete the turnaround, heading well over after being picked out by a pinpoint Mohamed Hamdy cross.

As time ticked away, wasteful efforts from Salah and Marmoush threatened to derail Egypt’s hopes of a winning start. However, in stoppage time, the captain delivered when it mattered most, steering home from close range to snatch victory and deny Zimbabwe a memorable opening-night point.