Egypt 3-1 Benin (aet): Attia stars to book AFCON quarter-final spot

Marwan Attia scored and assisted for Egypt to secure them a 3-1 victory over Benin and a place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals.

Jodel Dossou had forced the extra 30 minutes after cancelling out Attia’s superb strike seven minutes from time, but Yasser Ibrahim and Mohamed Salah scored in extra time to seal the win.

Egypt had the only clear first-half opening after Mohamed Hamdy’s cross rebounded to Omar Marmoush, but his tame effort was comfortably cleared off the goal-line by Yohan Roche, while Rami Rabia was also denied on the line in the second half, with Tamimou Ouorou making an excellent block.

Mohamed El Shenawy then smothered Dossou’s effort at the other end before Attia picked out the top-left corner from the edge of the D after latching onto Mohamed Hany’s pull-back in the 69th minute.

However, Benin refused to give up; Junior Olaitan latched onto a poor pass from El Shenawy and played in the cross that had the goalkeeper backpedalling, and Dossou was on hand to turn in the rebound from close range 83 minutes in.

Seven minutes into the first period of extra time, a short corner was played into Attia, who curled a wonderful delivery onto the penalty spot and Yasser’s looping header nestled into the top-left corner.

Emam Ashour lifted a dipping shot just over the bar as Egypt sought a consolation goal before Salah rounded off the scoring in the fourth minute of stoppage time, firing past Marcel Dandjinou from range after a blistering counter-attack.