Mohamed Salah’s goal helped Egypt beat South Africa 1-0 in Agadir, securing their first qualification to the 2025 African Cup of Nations finals.
The Liverpool star converted a penalty in the 45th minute on Friday and South Africa were denied a spot-kick late in the second half after Yasser Ibrahim appeared to have handled the ball inside the box.
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Salah came to Morocco after not starting any of Liverpool’s five games and his absence led to anger at manager Arne Slott.
Egypt were reduced to 10 men in first-half stoppage time after right-back Mohamed Hany was shown a second yellow card and a red card.
After the second round of Group B, Egypt, who have won the last seven games, have six points and are guaranteed a top two place in the group stage and a place in the round of 16.
A 1-1 draw in Marrakech earlier on Friday left South Africa with three points and Angola and Zimbabwe with one point each.
The first chance came for Salah in the 11th minute, but he was unable to move forward quickly and was unable to connect with Honey’s low cross.
That the majority of the crowd supported the Pharaohs was made clear shortly after the Burundian referee ignored Zizo’s appeal for a free kick and the stadium was filled with loud whistles.
When Salah fired a free kick into the heart of the South African area, three Egyptians jumped out, but none could connect with the ball.
A pattern started to emerge midway through the first half. While Egypt advanced regularly, South Africa defended with composure and solid tackling.
South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena was shown a yellow card for a foul on Omar Marmouche just outside the D. However, the Manchester City striker sent the resulting free-kick wide.
As the first half progressed, the sun came out over the southern coastal cities. It was a welcome sight for players and spectators, as many previous group matches were played in pouring rain.
A rare South African attack ended in disappointment as Lyle Foster took a weak shot which was comfortably saved by 37-year-old Mohamed El-Shenawy.
South Africa were awarded a free kick on the edge of the touchline and performed a complex multi-passing move, which El-Shennawy finished off well with a cross.
Salah was closely monitored by Aubrey Modiba and as half-time approached, the Liverpool star retreated into the Egyptian half to maintain possession.
Then, as the Egyptian captain chased a loose ball with Hliso Mdau, the South African right-back swung his left arm and hit Salah in the left eye.
Amid protests in Egypt, the Burundi referee confirmed the incident on the VAR monitor and pointed to the penalty spot.
The long time it took for the kick to be taken did not settle Salah’s nerves, but he comfortably converted the penalty after Ronwen Williams dived the wrong way.
Further drama erupted in stoppage time when Honey stomped on Mokoena, earning the defender a second yellow card.
South Africa, who had a numerical advantage, stepped up their attacks as the second half progressed, but Egypt came close to scoring a second goal with a quick free-kick that Williams blocked from substitute Imam Ashour.
El-Shennawy showed his agility with 15 minutes remaining, tipping Foster’s low shot with his right hand and firing it safely. It was one of several saves that kept Egypt in the lead.
Angola and Zimbabwe keep alive AFCON hopes
Veteran Knowledge Musona scored as Zimbabwe came from behind to draw 1-1 with Angola in Marrakech to kick off the second round of AFCON earlier in the day.
Gerson Dara put Angola ahead midway through the first half, with Musona scoring the equalizer deep in first-half stoppage time.
Both teams ended up drawing in Group B, leaving joint leaders Egypt and South Africa two points behind with one more game to play.
Only the top two finishers from each group will automatically qualify for the knockout phase. The top four third-place teams from the six mini-leagues will also advance.
Bill Antonio squandered a golden chance to give Zimbabwe an early lead by firing wide from close range in front of a small crowd.
Angola quickly recovered and took the lead, taking the lead after 24 minutes with a goal from Qatar-based striker Dara.
A nice lob pass from To Carneiro fell in front of Dalla in the box, who tucked the ball between his near post and 40-year-old goalkeeper Washington Albi.
Musona was one of four changes to Zimbabwe’s line-up after their 2-1 loss to Egypt in Agadir four days ago and became increasingly involved as the Warriors hunted for an equalizer.
Musona wasted a free-kick opportunity by hitting the ball against the defensive wall and his shot went wide. Romania coach Marian Marinica shook his head repeatedly in frustration.
Angola goalkeeper Hugo Marquez, 39, had his head heavily bandaged before continuing in the match after colliding with an opponent.
Musona’s persistence finally paid off as he scored the equalizer six minutes into stoppage time, just before the end of the first half.
Angola lost the ball in midfield and Zimbabwe quickly hit back, hitting Musona in the box with a brilliant pass.
He fired a slow shot between Carneiro’s legs and finished just wide of Marquez’s outstretched right foot.
With both teams looking for a second goal and the lead, Marquez saved Angola with an acrobatic one-handed save on substitute Tawanda Chirewa’s shot 12 minutes into regular time.
