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Egypt captain, Mohamed Salah, has played down talk of being one of the favourites at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), insisting the Pharaohs are focused on taking the tournament one match at a time.
Chasing a record-extending eighth continental title, Egypt booked its place in the quarter-finals with a hard-fought 3–1 extra-time victory over Benin, with Salah once again leading from the front.
The talisman scored Egypt’s decisive third goal on Monday night, taking his tally to three goals in three matches at the tournament. Despite his sparkling form, Salah is keen to keep expectations in check.
“I don’t think we are favourites,” he said in an interview. “We have young players, most of them playing back home in Egypt. We are just fighting for our country, then we see where we can go. Everyone here just wants to give their best.”
Salah has featured in all but one of Egypt’s matches so far, sitting out the final group game against Angola when qualification was already assured.
That decision, made by head coach Hossam Hassan, proved decisive as Egypt found the edge in extra time against a stubborn Benin side.
“Physically, we were a little better in extra time and that gave us the advantage,” Salah explained. “There is no easy game in Africa anymore because the levels are very close.”
I told the boys that we haven’t seen teams losing by four or five goals, and that says a lot. We played against a team with a good coach and a strong structure. It wasn’t easy, but we are happy to have won in the end.”
Away from the spotlight, Salah has largely avoided media attention during Egypt’s stay in Agadir, quietly focusing on both collective success and personal redemption. Having lost two AFCON finals, the 32-year-old is still chasing his first continental crown.