Mohamed Salah Creates History, Becomes First Egyptian To...

Last Updated:December 24, 2025, 12:48 IST

Mohamed Salah has now scored in the 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions of the AFCON.

Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring during the Africa Cup of Nations match against Zimbabwe. (AP Photo)

Mohamed Salah made history by becoming the first Egyptian player to score in five consecutive editions of the African Cup of Nations. His late strike in the 91st minute secured a 2-1 victory for Egypt over Zimbabwe on Monday.

Making his first start after four matches on the bench at Liverpool, Egypt’s captain delivered a left-footed shot that not only gave the seven-time champions a winning start in Morocco but also set a new record for Egypt.

The Egyptian FA celebrated the milestone on social media, highlighting that Salah has now scored in the 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025 editions. This achievement places him alongside Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, Abdoulaye Traore, and Yaya Toure, as well as Tunisia’s Youssef Msakni.

Salah has an opportunity to further his record with two more AFCON tournaments scheduled in 2027 and 2028. Scoring in those editions would allow him to surpass the records held by Cameroon’s Samuel Eto’o, Zambia’s Kalusha Bwalya, and Ghana’s Andre Ayew and Asamoah Gyan.

At 33, Salah has netted eight goals in 20 AFCON games, trailing Egypt’s all-time top scorer in the tournament, Hassan El-Shazly, by four goals, and his current coach, Hossam Hassan, by three.

Egypt’s upcoming fixtures include a match against South Africa on Friday, followed by a clash with Angola on December 29. Salah is determined to finally lift the Africa Cup after losing in the finals of 2017 and 2021.

With Reuters Inputs

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