In Morocco, Egypt faced Zimbabwe in their opening match of the Africa Cup of Nations on December 22, 2025. Egypt's Mohamed Salah, after starting the game for the first time since being marginalized by Liverpool, played a crucial role in the match. Although Egypt dominated possession, they found themselves trailing when Zimbabwe's Prince Dube scored in the 20th minute. The Pharaohs equalized in the 64th minute with a goal from Omar Marmoush, who executed a stunning solo effort. As the game seemed headed for a draw, Salah's decisive strike in stoppage time sealed a 2-1 victory for Egypt, boosting their hopes in the tournament. This victory was particularly significant as it helped break a series of draws for Egypt in previous tournaments, and underlined Salah's key role as a leader and player for the national team. The match also had broader implications as Egypt seeks to reclaim glory in AFCON, a title they last won in 2010. With this win, Egypt joins South Africa at the top of Group B, as they prepare for their next match against South Africa on Boxing Day in Agadir.