CK Updates
AFCON Report – Egypt bounce Benin to reach 11th AFCON quarterfinal – 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
Marwan Attia of Egypt celebrates goal with teammates during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations AFCON match between Egypt and Benin at the Adrar Stadium, Agadir on the 05 January 2026 ©Nabil Ramdani/BackpagePix
Monday Jan 05, 2026. 19:44
Egypt will advance to an 11th Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) quarterfinal after defeating Benin 3-1 in extra time at the Stade Adrar in Agadir on Monday.
Despite a valiant effort, the Cheetahs are headed home after a historic tournament which saw them claim a first-ever open-play victory in the group stage, ending a 16-match winless run at the tournament.
With his goal to seal the game, Mohamed Salah became the third Egyptian to score 10 AFCON finals goals, joining head coach Hossam Hassan.
Egypt nearly struck in the eighth minute as Mohamed Salah unleashed Omar Marmoush with a beautiful through-ball from his own half. However, Marmoush failed to beat the rushing Marcel Dandjinou one-on-one, who did well to stop what should have been an opening goal for the Pharaohs.
Benin’s first chance of the game came from Junior Olaitan’s 17th minute freekick. The 23-year-old fired a strike from distance towards the Egyptian goal, but his effort made for a routine save for Mohamed El Shenawy.
The Pharaohs missed another chance to take the lead in the 20th minute as Mohamed Hamdi made a run down the left side of the box, crossing into Salah. The Liverpool forward was swamped by defenders and was unable to finish at the near post, and Yohan Roche cleared Marmoush’s follow up in the mouth of the goal.
The Cheetahs suffered a big loss in the 32nd minute as striker Aiyegun Tosin was forced off the pitch due to injury, replaced by Jodel Dossou.
Salah produced another dangerous through-ball in the 36th minute, bypassing the midfield to find Marmoush. However, the Manchester City star was dispossessed on the breakaway by a physical piece of defending from Mohamed Tijani.
The Pharaohs also lost an important member of their starting line-up as Hamdi was stretchered off after a collision with Rodolfo Aloko, injuring his leg as he landed from an aerial challenge. The defender was replaced by Ahmed Abou El Fotouh in stoppage time.
The Cheetahs began the second half in threatening fashion, forcing Hamdy Fathy to race back and intercept a dangerous through-ball in the
Egypt missed a huge chance to go ahead in the 55th minute. The Pharaohs’ corner fell to Rami Rabia in front of goal but his attempt to poke the ball home came off Dandjinou and was blocked from crossing the line by Tamimou Ouorou.
In the 63rd minute, substitute Zizo played a dink over the top of Benin’s defence for Salah, whose chip attempt was read perfectly by Dandjinou, denying the two-time CAF Men’s Player of the Year.
On the other end, The Cheetahs miss an opportunity of their own a minute later. Ouorou played a perfectly weighted ball into the box for Dossou, who was denied from close range by El Shenawy.
Egypt finally broke the deadlock in the 69th minute through a spectacular strike from midfielder Marwan Attia. Mohamed Hany cut the ball back from the byline to the edge of the area and Attia thumped the ball into the top left corner.
Benin struck back in scrappy fashion in the 83rd minute as El Shenawy did well to keep out Olaitan’s cross, which came at the goal. However, he could not get the ball away from his line, allowing Dossou to prod it into the back of the net.
The Pharaohs went back in front in the 97th minute, courtesy of Yasser Ibrahim. Marwan Attia found the defender in the area, who sent a looping header over Dandjinou who, despite his best effort, could not keep the ball out of the net
Salah bagged his 10th AFCON goal in the 124th minute after Benin failed to create anything from a corner, sending Salah on the breakaway, and catching Dandjinou well out of place to score from distance.
Egypt will return to the Stade Adrar on Saturday for their 11th AFCON quarterfinal appearance against either Côte d’Ivoire or Burkina Faso.
Egypt (0) 3 (Attia 69’, Ibrahim 97’, Salah 120+4’)
Benin (0) 1 (Dossou 83’)
Egypt: M. El Shenawy, M. Hany, Y. Ibrahim, R. Rabia, M. Hamdy (A. Fotouh 45+1), M. Attia, H. Fathy, I. Adel (A. Sayed 59’), M. Salah, O. Marmoush (M. Mohamed119’), Trézéguet (E. Ashour 59’).
Benin: M. Dandjinou, Y. Roche (M. Ahlinvi 106’), M. Tijani, O. Verdon, T. Ouorou, H. Imourane (G. Ahoudo 106’), S. D’Almeida (S. Attidjikou 77’), D. Dokou (O. Tessilimi 77’), J. Olaitan, T. Aiyegun (J. Dossou 32’), R. Aloko (R. Amoussou 90+2’)
Former West Ham, QPR and Czech Republic goalkeeper Ludek Miklosko has died at the age of 64.
Miklosko made almost 400 appearances for the Hammers from 1990 to 1998 and was much loved by supporters, who regularly sang his name long after he left the club.
He later returned as a goalkeeping coach.
Miklosko withdrew from cancer treatment in December 2024, three years after his diagnosis.
Days later he returned to West Ham’s London Stadium for a Premier League match against Liverpool to a hero’s reception.
A West Ham statement read: “It is with deep and profound sadness that West Ham United announces the passing of legendary former goalkeeper and coach, Luděk Miklosko.
“Rest in peace Ludek, our beloved, inspirational goalkeeper and gentle giant of a man.”
More to follow.
Going into the 2026 season, few people would have backed Zverev to win two Grand Slam tournaments, with the German having already lost three major finals in a career which looked in danger of not living up to expectation.
But injuries to his biggest rivals – Alcaraz missing the French Open and Wimbledon, with Sinner ruled out of the US Open – opened the door for Zverev.
A below-par Zverev scraped through the opening rounds at Flushing Meadows in a series of early-morning finishes, but he gradually improved over a fortnight where he did not play a top-20 opponent until Shelton.
Zverev had not lost to Shelton in their five previous meetings and immediately capitalised on a nervy start by his opponent.
Shelton double-faulted on break point in the first game of the match, handing over the type of initiative that opponents often struggle to wrestle back from Zverev.
Through the strength of his first serve, and his ability to unpick Shelton’s weaker backhand in the baseline exchanges, Zverev rolled through the opening set and clinched it when Shelton hit another double fault on set point.
Zverev continued to patiently draw mistakes from Shelton in the second set, but without being gifted a break when his only opportunity arrived in the fourth game.
He instead showed why he has a strong tie-break record with another nerveless display and, unlike in the 2020 US Open final when he lost from a two-set lead, kept his composure in the pressure moments to secure a commanding victory.
Addressing his team which is led by his father Alexander senior and brother Mischa, Zverev said: “We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now won two in the span of three months.
“I think God has seen how hard we have worked, how hard we have suffered and how much pain we went through.
“I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before.”
With Haaland’s goal settling the match, United were unsurprisingly disappointed by the decision.
“I think it was offside,” said Martinez. “And what I can’t understand is the rules. I want to be calm now, I want to control myself.
“It’s so hard because you lose a derby, you lose three points at home, and every season they’re [referees] coming to our club, they explain for one hour the rules, and they look so confident with that, and then after [there are] five or six people doing these kind of mistakes in the Premier League – it’s unacceptable.
“It’s the best league in the world, you have the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, and now we have to go home with this injustice.”
United boss Carrick also expressed his confusion.
“We put things in place in the game now, we have people in offices with all the screens for this decision,” he said.
“It’s more worrying about if that’s the interpretation of football now. If that’s the interpretation of not interfering in the game now, that’s really worrying for me. It’s a staggering explanation.
“The decision isn’t going to change the season, but it’s had a major impact on the game.”
Wayne Rooney, part of the BBC’s MOTD2 team, said: “Surely it’s offside. Martinez is impacted by Fernandez’s movement, and he is offside.”
Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “I think we’ll see some sort of apology from the referee’s association, there’s no doubt Fernandez is playing that ball and is trying to put off Martinez. I think it’s one they’ll recognising they got wrong.”
Micah Richards added: “I think it’s been a bad day for referees. They got the Foden decision wrong and the Fernandez decision wrong. I think they got it so wrong but I don’t think it takes anything away from City’s performance.”
Meanwhile, City boss Maresca said: “I think it was onside clearly so it’s good.”
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