World's media reacts to Mohamed Salah's 'inevitable' Egypt heroics at AFCON

Mohamed Salah scored a decisive goal for Egypt, as the team beat Benin 3-1 after extra time in the Africa Cup of Nations, with international media praising the Liverpool legend's performance

Mohamed Salah sealed the win for Egypt(Image: Getty Images)

Global media outlets have weighed in on Mohamed Salah's display after Egypt secured a 3-1 victory over Benin in the Africa Cup of Nations.

The triumph guaranteed Egypt's progression to the AFCON quarterfinals, with Salah and his colleagues setting their sights on the trophy. Yet Egypt did pick up some injuries during the win.

Having reached the last eight, Egypt required extra time to see off the West African side. Benin's defensive organization proved stubborn throughout the encounter, which remained goalless until the 69th minute when Marwan Attia unleashed a side-footed strike into the top corner from distance. Jodel Dossou netted the equalizer with just minutes remaining and took the match into extra time.

Yasser Ibrahim restored Egypt's lead at 2-1 in the 97th minute before Salah wrapped up the contest in the 124th minute to settle matters. Egyptian publication Al-Ahram praised Salah's contribution, with the Liverpool icon playing a pivotal role in several crucial passages of play.

"Egypt signalled their attacking intent early when Salah released Omar Marmoush," wrote Al-Ahram. "Whose one-on-one effort was denied by Benin goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou in the seventh minute."

Highlighting his influence again, they noted: "Atteya finally broke the deadlock in the 69th minute, finishing from the edge of the area after a one-two between Salah and Mohamed Hany."

Salah scored Egypt's third goal in the 124th minute(Image: Getty Images)

Describing Salah's strike, they stated: "Benin pressed for another equaliser but were unable to break down an organized Egyptian defense, and Salah sealed the win in the dying minutes with a composed lob after being set up by Zizo."

International broadcaster BeIN Sports lauded Salah's strike: "Mohamed Salah put the contest to bed on the counter.

"The Liverpool star finished clinically to score his third goal of the tournament, sealing the win and confirming a hard-fought, but fully deserved, place in the next round of the next round."

The official Olympics website highlighted Salah's standout performance, noting he "calmly" chipped the ball over the goalkeeper, while also commending the link-up play between him and Hany for Attia's goal.

Sports News Africa labelled Salah as "inevitable" and said he "drove home the nail" with his crucial strike. The forward also earned plaudits from MENA publication Btolat.com, receiving an 8.6 rating in its player assessments.

Reflecting on the match afterwards, Salah himself commented: "It was a tough game. We fought hard physically, and the levels are very close in this tournament. There are no easy matches in AFCON. I'm happy with this win, especially as most of our players compete in the local league, which makes the challenge even greater."

Liverpool returns to action without Salah against Arsenal on Thursday.

The Egyptian forward hasn't quite hit his usual heights this season for the Reds, but he's a player who thrives on confidence, and strong displays at AFCON could prove invaluable for Arne Slot and his squad when he returns from Morocco.