Mohamed Salah’s first-half penalty was enough to earn Egypt a hard-fought 1-0 win over South Africa and secure the seven-time champions a place in the Africa Cup of Nations knockout stage with a match to spare.
The Pharaohs went ahead just before the break but were reduced to 10 men moments later when Mohamed Hany was sent off, forcing them to defend deep for much of the second half.
South Africa pushed for an equaliser but were repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy, who made key late saves as Egypt held firm and continued to threaten on the counter.
The result, combined with Angola’s draw against Zimbabwe, guarantees Egypt a last-16 spot ahead of the final round of Group B matches.
