Mohamed Salah and teammates sent warning and ordered to learn lesson quickly

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Egypt escaped with a 2-1 AFCON win over Zimbabwe, but Hossam Hassan made it clear that Mohamed Salah's late heroics shouldn't have been necessary if his side had completed their numerous chances

Hossam Hassan doesn't want Egypt to become complacent with missed chances

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan made it clear his players were living too close for comfort offensively after opening their Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a narrow 2-1 win over Zimbabwe on Monday.

Hassan warned Mohamed Salah and company that repeated missed chances will not be forgiven as the tournament advances beyond the group stages. The match began with confusion as broadcast cameras focused on Zimbabwe during Egypt's national anthem, but quickly settled into Egyptian domination.

Egypt handled the ball, pushed numbers forward, and pinned Zimbabwe deep in their own half, but failed to turn that control into a commanding lead. They were punished in the 20th minute when Prince Dube gave Zimbabwe a shock lead by finishing efficiently from close range. Salah would go on to become a hero in extra time as he aims to win his first AFCON championship.

"We were unlucky in this game. We wasted many chances and made it harder than it should have been," Hassan said after the match. "I warned the players about this scenario, and we have to learn the lesson."

The missed chances mounted quickly. Trezeguet saw multiple headers saved or drift wide, Emam Ashour and Marwan Attia fired over the goal post from inside the box, and Salah, heavily involved in the build-up, had efforts blocked and shots sail high.

Mohamed Salah scored the game winner for Egypt in their opening AFCON game against Zimbabwe(Image: Getty Images)

Frustration grew among the Egyptian players and supporters as Zimbabwe clung to their lead behind goalkeeper Washington Arubi, who repeatedly denied shots from Omar Marmoush, Mostafa Mohamed, and others.

The breakthrough finally came in the 64th minute when Marmoush scored from a tight angle to level the match.

It took until stoppage time for Salah to deliver the decisive goal. Mostafa Mohamed flicked on a header, and Salah finished clinically from the center of the box to secure all three points and send Egypt to the top of Group B alongside South Africa.

Mohamed Salah had four shot attempts and 1 goal against Zimbabwe

Despite the victory, Hassan focused on the numbers and analytics after Egypt recorded 35 shot attempts, with only 11 on target, and converted just twice.

"There are no easy matches in this competition," Hassan said. "We want to compete for the title. Egypt are a big nation in Africa and have the right to fight for the trophy."

Egypt and South Africa are tied for first in Group B of AFCON

Egypt now faces South Africa on Dec. 26 with first place in Group B on the line. South Africa previously defeated Egypt on aggregate during the second stage of 2024 African Nations Championship qualifiers.

Salah's form entering the tournament has also been under scrutiny. In his last five Premier League appearances for Liverpool, he failed to score, registering just one assist in a 2-0 win over Brighton despite nine shot attempts.