Courtesy of a goal each from Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush and Liverpool’s Mo Salah, Egypt who have won AFCON a record seven times started the 2025 edition with a comeback victory over Zimbabwe who had gone ahead through a 20th minute goal from Prince Dube. The Pharaohs absolutely dominated the game, amassing up to 35 shots and creating 8 big chances but it looked like one of those games until Marmoush equalized and Salah got a 91st minute winner.
Omar Marmoush started up top for Egypt in their 4231 set-up, with Mahmoud Trezeguet and Mo Salah to his left and right and Emam Ashour in attacking midfield. Washington Navaya started up top for Zimbabwe, with Emmanuel Jalai and Danile Msendami to his right and left respectively.
From minute 1, the tactical battle at the Stade Adrar was immediately evident as Egypt sought to establish dominance through high-possession football, while Zimbabwe remained disciplined in a compact defensive shape. The opening exchanges were characterized by intense physical duels, particularly in the midfield, where Daniel Msendami was caught fouling Hossam Abdelmaguid just three minutes into the contest.
Egypt’s first major offensive thrust came in the 4th minute, earning a corner that was eventually cleared by Munashe Garan’anga, signaling the start of a persistent aerial assault by the Pharaohs. The early pressure almost paid off in the 6th minute when Mohamed Salah delivered a pinpoint cross into the six-yard box, finding Mahmoud Trézéguet, whose powerful header was spectacularly saved in the top center of the goal by Zimbabwe’s veteran keeper, Washington Arubi.
The intensity of the match led to an early booking for Zimbabwe’s Washington Navaya in the 7th minute, following a reckless challenge on Hossam Abdelmaguid. Despite the yellow card, Egypt continued to struggle with their final ball; Mohamed Salah and Emam Ashour both saw significant goal-bound efforts blocked by a resilient Zimbabwean backline between the 8th and 10th minutes.
In the 12th minute, Ashour had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock after being found by another Salah cross, but he dragged his right-footed shot wide of the far post. This period of dominance was briefly interrupted in the 14th minute when Mohamed Salah required medical attention following a foul by Prince Dube, though the captain was eventually able to continue.
Against the run of play, Zimbabwe stunned the Agadir crowd in the 20th minute. Emmanuel Jalai delivered a dangerous cross into the center of the box, finding Prince Dube, who controlled the ball expertly before firing a left-footed strike into the bottom-left corner to give the Warriors a shock lead. Stung by the goal, Egypt threw players forward, with Omar Marmoush testing Arubi with a fierce shot in the 25th minute that the keeper handled with composure.
Moments later, Zimbabwe nearly doubled their advantage on a counter-attack as Msendami forced Mohamed El Shenawy into a sharp save at the bottom-left corner. The frustration within the Egyptian camp became visible in the 33rd minute when Marwan Attia was booked for a heavy challenge on Msendami.
Recognizing a need for a tactical shift, Coach Hossam Hassan made a ruthless early substitution in the 34th minute, withdrawing Emam Ashour for the physical presence of Mostafa Mohamed. The impact was almost immediate; Egypt’s offensive shape became more direct, resulting in a flurry of corners and a 38th-minute strike from Marmoush that Arubi was again forced to tip over the crossbar.
The tension escalated further just before the break as Trézéguet was booked for simulation after going down in the penalty area in the 44th minute. Despite a desperate late scramble in four minutes of added time, involving blocked shots from Salah and Marmoush, Zimbabwe held their lead into the interval.
Zimbabwe began the second half with a substitution of their own, bringing on Macauley Bonne for Washington Navaya to refresh their frontline. However, the second period was defined by a sustained Egyptian siege. Mostafa Mohamed missed a clear-cut chance from very close range in the 52nd minute after a cross from Mohamed Hamdy, signaling that the pressure was mounting.
Zimbabwe’s discipline began to fray under the heat of the attack, with Godknows Murwira receiving a yellow card in the 57th minute. In the 62nd minute, Zimbabwe missed a rare chance to kill the game when Bonne’s left-footed effort was saved by El Shenawy. Two minutes later, Egypt finally found their equalizer. Omar Marmoush, receiving a pass from Mohamed Hamdy, found a difficult angle on the left and hammered a right-footed shot into the high center of the goal to make it 1–1.
Emboldened by the goal, Egypt made a double substitution in the 66th and 67th minutes, introducing Ibrahim Adel and Zizo for Marwan Attia and Trézéguet. The final twenty minutes were a testament to Zimbabwean resilience and Arubi’s individual brilliance. In the 66th minute, Arubi produced a stunning double save to deny both Mostafa Mohamed and Yasser Ibrahim from close range.
Zizo’s introduction added a new dimension to the Egyptian right flank, and he nearly assisted a winner in the 70th minute when his cross found Mostafa Mohamed, whose header drifted just wide of the top-right corner. Zimbabwe responded by shoring up their defense with Tawanda Chirewa and Prosper Padera in the 72nd minute, but they could do little to stem the tide.
Egypt faced a late scare in the 82nd minute when Mohamed Hamdy was forced off with an injury, replaced by Ahmed Fatouh. As the clock ticked into the final five minutes of regulation, the pressure became unbearable for the Zimbabwean defense. Zizo and Ibrahim Adel both saw efforts miss the target or be blocked by a wall of yellow shirts.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 91st minute of play. Mostafa Mohamed, acting as the perfect target man, cushioned a headed pass into the path of Mohamed Salah. The captain made no mistake, drilling a left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner to seal the 2–1 comeback. Despite five minutes of added time, Zimbabwe could not find a way back, leaving the Pharaohs to celebrate a hard-fought victory in their opening fixture.
