Nasser Maher marks first Egypt goal as Malawi are beaten 5-0 in AFCON qualifying

Nasser Maher said scoring his first international goal for Egypt was a particularly pleasing moment after their 5-0 victory over Malawi in the third round of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The win at Cairo Stadium moved Egypt to seven points at the top of Group B, while Malawi remain third on three points.

Maher, who plays for Pyramids, opened the scoring before Omar Marmoush, Mohamed Hany and Mohamed Salah, with two goals, completed a dominant result for the hosts.

“Thank God for the victory and for scoring my first international goal with Egypt,” Maher told beIN Sports. “I had hoped to be with the national team during the previous period.”

He added: “Thank God the opportunity came now. I thank my team-mates, and I also thank Ali Maher for giving me the chance to represent the national team and contribute to making the Egyptian people happy.”

The goal came in Maher’s fifth international appearance for Egypt. He said the squad had quickly adapted to the demands of the team despite having limited time together.

“The atmosphere inside the national team is wonderful, and we are happy with what Mohamed Salah is delivering,” he said. “We performed well and achieved a positive result, even though we had not worked with the coaching staff for a long time.”

Maher said Egypt had managed to absorb some of the technical ideas introduced by the coaching staff in a short period, but insisted that there was more to come.

“We succeeded in understanding some ideas in a short time, but there is still a lot for us to offer in the coming period,” he said.

The result also brought a notable milestone for several Egypt players. Marmoush took his international tally to 14 goals in his 59th appearance, while Mohamed Hany scored his first goal for Egypt.

Salah’s two goals moved him level with Hossam Hassan as Egypt’s joint all-time leading scorer, with both players now on 68 international goals.

Ali Maher also recorded a significant victory in his first appearance with Egypt.

Despite the emphatic scoreline, Maher warned that Malawi would pose a different challenge in the return fixture, which will be played at the opponents’ stadium.

“Malawi are not an easy team at all, and we respect every national team,” he said. “The return match at the opponents’ ground will be difficult, and we must prepare well for it.”