Thanks to a brilliant first-half display, Egypt secured a 2-0 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo to qualify for the round of 16 at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, joining Nigeria at the top of Group A.
Javier Aguirre’s side fielded the same starting eleven as in their opening match, but the early stages were far from easy. DR Congo pressed aggressively, and Mohamed Salah came close to opening the scoring in the 10th minute after a precise cross, only to be denied. Egypt, however, kept their composure in front of their home crowd and finally broke the deadlock from a set piece. Following a scramble and a handball in the box, Ahmed El Mohamady calmly slotted home in the 25th minute to make it 1-0.
The Pharaohs doubled their lead just before halftime. Trezeguet’s superb build-up found Salah, who delivered a sublime left-footed finish past Tisserand, marking his 40th international goal and placing him third on Egypt’s all-time scoring chart (43rd minute).
In the second half, Egypt managed the game expertly, attacking when necessary and remaining compact defensively. Despite DR Congo’s efforts to respond, the Leopards lacked the final-third precision to create meaningful chances. With this win, Egypt secured two victories from as many matches, ensuring their progression to the knockout stage, while DR Congo’s campaign came to an early end.
Meanwhile, Uganda and Zimbabwe played out a 1-1 draw. Emmanuel Okwi gave the Cranes an early lead in the 12th minute, only for Khama Billiat to equalize for Zimbabwe in the 40th. The result keeps Uganda on course for the round of 16.
Group A – Day 2 results:
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Egypt 2-0 DR Congo (Ahmed El Mohamady 25’, Mohamed Salah 43’)
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Uganda 1-1 Zimbabwe (Emmanuel Okwi 12’ / Khama Billiat 40’)
