Tournament favorites Egypt began their campaign at the 2025 African Cup of Nations tournament with a come from behind 2-1 win over Zimbabwe on Monday night, SportPremi Reports.
Prince Dube fired the Warriors into a shock first half lead, before the English Premier League stars took over the clash.
Omar Marmoush leveled matters early in the second half, before Mohamed Salah netted the winner in stoppage time to seal the win for the Pharaohs.
It was a dominant performance from the seven-time champions, who were a threat everytime they attacked with the ball.
Egypt have three points in group B, same as South Africa who defeated Angola 2-1 earlier in the day.
First half: Zimbabwe take shock lead
Egypt headed into the clash hoping to underline their status as one of the tournament favorites as the boasted the likes of Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.
The Liverpool man was at the heart of matters early on as his cross for Trezeguet was met by a brilliant goal-line save by Washington Arubi, Zimbabwe’s 40-year-old goalkeeper.
However, the Warriors took a shock lead in the 20th minute as Prince Dube fired home into the bottom corner, although El Shenawy could have done better to prevent the strike.
The Pharaohs then continued to mount pressure in their bid to find the equalizer, but could not get past Arubi in the opposition goal, as the first half ended 1-0 to Zimbabwe.
Second half: Marmoush and Salah complete comeback
Egypt continued to attack in the second half as Arubi denied the impressive Marmoush once again early in the half.
The Manchester City forward grabbed the Pharaohs equalizer soon, firing home a fine effort at the near post after being afforded much space by the defenders.
The Pharaohs continued to threaten the Zimbabwean defense, but Arubi proved equal to the task.
However, Salah grabbed the winner in stoppage time to complete the comeback for his side as the match ended 2-1 in favor of Egypt.
Players Ratings
Egypt Players Ratings:
- El Shenawy – 6.9
- Hany – 7.2
- Ibrahim – 7.2
- Abdelmaguid – 7.7
- Hamdi – 8.2
- Ateya – 6.9
- Fathi – 7.7
- Salah – 8.7
- Ashour – 6.6
- Trezeguet – 7.7
- Marmoush – 8.7
Substitutes
- Mohamed – 7.1
- Adel – 6.6
- Zizo – 6.3
- El Fotouh – 6.0
Zimbabwe Players Ratings:
- Arubi – 7.1
- Hadebe – 6.2
- Takwara – 6.8
- Garananga – 5.7
- Murwira – 6.5
- Nakamba – 6.5
- Msendami – 6.3
- Dube – 7.2
- Fabisch – 6.8
- Jalai – 7.3
- Navaya – 5.9
Substitutes
- Bonne – 6.4
- Padera – 6.0
- Chirewa – 5.8
- Maswanhise – 6.0
Man of the match
Omar Marmoush (8.7/10) – The Manchester City forward was in superb form on the night and grabbed his side’s equalizer with a brilliant goal. He also completed the most dribbles in the match (7) and was a major threat with eight shots attempted.
Key Stats
Ball Possession: Egypt 77% – 23% Zimbabwe
Total Shots: Egypt 34 – 8 Zimbabwe
Shots on target: Egypt 11 – 3 Zimbabwe
Pass Accuracy: Egypt 88% – 57% Zimbabwe
Corners: Egypt 8 – 3 Zimbabwe
What Next?
Egypt will face South Africa in their next group game next Friday, hoping for another win to book their spot in the knockout stages.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will hope to get a favorable result when they face Angola on the same day.
