Mohamed Salah overcomes injury scare as Egypt book place in Afcon last 16

Egypt defender Mohamed Abdelmonem headed home a corner on 35 minutes to see off Sudan 1-0

Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah lays injured after being tackled by Sudan's defender Mazin Mohamedein Alnour Mohamed during the Group D Africa Cup of Nations match at Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde, Cameroon on January 19, 2022. Egypt won the match 1-0. AFP

Sudan defender Mazin Mohamedein Alnour Mohamed walks away after leaving Egypt's Mohamed Salah injured. AFP

Sudan's Mazin Mohamedein Alnour Mohamed tackles Egypt's Mohamed Salah. AFP

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah runs with the ball under pressure from Sudan's defender Mazin Mohamedein Alnour Mohamed. AFP

Egypt's Mohamed Salah hoots at goal. AFP

Egypt's Mohamed Salah takes on the Sudan defence. AFP

Egypt's Mohamed Salah. AFP

Egypt's Mohamed Salah celebrates next to Sudan's Mustafa Ahmed Saeed Elfadni after the final whistle as Egyppt advanced to the last 16 at Afcon 2021. AFP

Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah challenges Sudan's defender Elsadig Hassan. AFP

Egypt forward Omar Marmoush lies on the pitch, surrounded by teammates. AFP

Egypt's Mohamed Salah in action. Reuters

Egypt's Mohamed Salah at the end of the match. AP Photo

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah and defender Ahmed Hegazi celebrate. AFP

Sudan goalkeeper Ali Abou Achrine watches on as Egypt's Mohamed Salah shoots at goal. AP Photo

Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah challenges Sudan's defender Mustafa Karshom. AFP

Egypt forward Mohamed Salah sees his shot saved by Sudan goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa. AFP

Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah shoots. AFP

Egypt's Mohamed Salah dribbles with the ball. AP Photo

Egypt's Mohamed Salah, left, is challenged by Sudan's Mustapha Abdelgader Karshoum. AP Photo

Egypt avoided the fate that befell fellow continental giants Ghana by securing their place in the knockout round of the Africa Cup of Nations 2021 with victory over Sudan.

A 1-0 win in their final Group D game in Yaounde confirmed Egypt's place in the round of 16 after qualifying behind Nigeria.

Defender Mohamed Abdelmonem headed home a corner on 35 minutes after a period of sustained pressure from Egypt.

Nigeria topped the group thanks to a 2-0 win over Guinea-Bissau in the other group game having already punched their ticket to the last 16.

Second-half goals from Umar Sadiq and William Troost-Ekong maintained the Super Eagles perfect run at Afcon. The goals delighted interim coach Augustine Eguavoen, who jumped off the bench and threw his arms in the air.

Eguavoen is due to give up the coaching duties after the tournament but there might just be calls for the former Africa Cup-winning captain to stay if Nigeria keep go all the way.

Egypt would no doubt have had nerves jangling after seeing the fate of some of fellow former champions in Cameroon.

Defending champions Algeria was beaten 1-0 by Equatorial Guinea on Sunday in a result that seemed certain to be the shock of the tournament until four-time winner Ghana’s jaw-dropping elimination at the hands of tournament debutant and tiny island nation Comoros on Tuesday.

Egypt had underwhelmed in the group phase, losing to Nigeria and then only scraping past Guinea-Bissau thanks to Mohamed Salah’s goal and a brilliant late equaliser by Guinea-Bissau being contentiously disallowed.

There were signs of improvement against Sudan, but coach Carlos Queiroz knows his team will need to find another gear if the Pharaohs are to add to their record seven Afcon titles.

Mostafa Mohamed and Abdallah Said were both denied by Sudan goalkeeper Mohamed Mustafa in the first half.

Salah showed some of his best skill this tournament as he weaved past defenders and let off a low shot that was saved by Ali Abu Eshrein, who came on in place of Mustafa.

Salah also set up Amr el-Solia in front of goal. El-Solia blazed his shot over.

There was a scare for Egypt — and Liverpool — when Salah went down clutching his leg after Sudan defender Mazin Mohamedein crunched into him with his studs raised in a tackle.

Egypt’s captain got up and finished the game, though.

The two results on Wednesday also meant Cape Verde and Malawi qualified as the first two of four best third-place teams. It’s the first time Malawi has reached the knockouts at the African Cup.

The final two groups will be decided on Thursday, when Algeria, bottom of Group E, needs to win against Ivory Coast to avoid early elimination and a feeble defence of its title.

As for Ghana, the country’s Ministry of Sports has summoned the Ghana Football Association leadership for an emergency meeting on Friday over what it called the team’s “abysmal performance” in Cameroon.

Ghana, once a World Cup quarter-finalist, failed to win a game in Cameroon, the country's worst return in 59 years of playing at the Africa Cup of Nations.