Salah Stunner Fires Egypt to Quarters; Ruled Out of Arsenal

Mohamed Salah was once more on the scoresheet as Egypt prolonged their run on the Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-1 win over Benin to achieve the quarter-finals.

Salah made certain of Egypt’s victory on the very finish of additional time with a surprising effort to place his facet 3-1 up, after an preliminary 1-1 attract regular time.

It means Liverpool’s No. 11 will keep on the Africa Cup of Nations for at the very least one other week, with Egypt’s quarter-final happening on January 10.

That guidelines him out of Thursday’s conflict with Arsenal (Jan 8) within the Premier League as anticipated, whereas Salah will virtually actually miss the FA Cup third-round tie in opposition to Barnsley (Jan 12) no matter his nation’s fortunes.

WATCH: Mohamed Salah’s Additional-Time Trivela Objective vs. Benin (Video)

Mohamed Salah scores his 66th aim for Egypt vs Benin ???#AFCON2025 pic.twitter.com/7xbDTPmLTW

— (fan) ?.??? (@FCSALAH11) January 5, 2026

Egypt will play both Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso within the subsequent spherical, with the winners of their quarter-final taking over Mali or Senegal within the semis.

There’s the potential for a reunion of Salah and Sadio Mane, then, forward of a remaining that might contain hosts Morocco.

Whereas thought-about favourites heading into their round-of-16 conflict on Monday night, Egypt struggled to beat Benin in regular time with Marwan Attia’s aim cancelled out by Jodel Dossou late on.

Yasser Ibrahim put Egypt 2-1 up early into further time earlier than Salah’s trivela from exterior the field as Egypt broke within the dying minutes.

Salah has now scored in every of his three appearances to date at this 12 months’s AFCON, having additionally netted within the winners in group clashes with Zimbabwe and South Africa.

He was rested for the Group B nearer in opposition to Angola – a 0-0 draw – with Egypt already assured of a spot within the knockouts and happening to complete prime.

When will Mo Salah return from AFCON?

Whereas his departure to the event in Morocco got here beneath a cloud attributable to his public criticism of Liverpool and Arne Slot, the 33-year-old had repaired his relationship to an extent previous to becoming a member of the Egypt squad.

That noticed him help within the 2-0 win over Brighton earlier than he flew out to Morocco, and following harm to Alexander Isak and extra lately Hugo Ekitike, he’ll must be reintegrating in a key function upon his return.

When that will probably be stays to be seen, with Egypt now among the many favourites to win AFCON which might see him miss one other two weeks of membership soccer.

If Salah did captain his nation to the ultimate on January 18, his earliest return fixture be in opposition to Marseille within the Champions League on January 21 – although even that will be uncertain.