Mohamed Salah has become Egypt’s all-time leading goalscorer after scoring twice in a commanding 5–0 victory over Malawi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers.
The 34-year-old forward reached 70 international goals during Friday’s match in Cairo, surpassing the previous record held by former Egypt captain Hossam Hassan.
According to AFP, as reported by Al Jazeera on November 14, Salah achieved the milestone with two late goals.
The victory also strengthened Egypt’s position in Group B as the country continued its campaign to qualify for AFCON 2027.
Salah breaks Hossam Hassan’s record
Egypt had already established a comfortable lead before Salah made history.
Nasser Maher, Omar Marmoush and Mohamed Hany scored in the first half, giving the hosts a 3–0 advantage.
However, Salah waited until the closing stages to reach his landmark.
In the 84th minute, he scored with a header at the far post.
Then, five minutes into added time, he converted a penalty to complete his double and take his international tally to 70.
The goals moved Salah ahead of Hossam Hassan, who previously held Egypt’s scoring record.
Meanwhile, newly appointed coach Ali Maher enjoyed a winning start after replacing Hassan the previous week.
Egypt now have seven points from three Group B matches.
Morocco and Nigeria secure important victories
Elsewhere in the AFCON qualifiers, Morocco continued its impressive form with a 5–1 victory over Niger in Casablanca.
Achraf Hakimi scored twice as Morocco strengthened its position at the top of Group A.
The defender is also considered a leading contender for the next African Footballer of the Year award.
Meanwhile, Nigeria recovered from a difficult start to its qualifying campaign by defeating Tanzania 3–1 in Uyo.
Alhassan Yusuf opened the scoring after just 103 seconds, although Alphonce Msanga equalised in the 32nd minute.
Substitute Tolu Arokodaro then changed the game.
He restored Nigeria’s lead with a back-heel finish in the 52nd minute before scoring again shortly afterwards.
As a result, Nigeria moved to six points in Group L, one behind leaders Guinea-Bissau.
Libya stun Tunisia in major AFCON upset
Tunisia suffered one of the round’s biggest surprises after losing 2–0 at home to neighbouring Libya.
Ali Youssef opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 44th minute.
Hamdou Elhouni doubled Libya’s advantage in the 62nd minute, securing a valuable away victory.
The result lifted Libya to four points, level with Uganda at the top of Group H.
Tunisia, meanwhile, remained bottom with two points.
Their long-standing record of qualifying for every AFCON tournament since 1994 is now under pressure.
Furthermore, Tunisia face a difficult schedule, with their remaining three qualifying fixtures set to take place away from home.
Kenya rescue late draw against South Africa
Kenya also produced a notable result, securing a 2–2 draw away to South Africa.
Ryan Ogam scored the equaliser in the final minute of regular time, denying the hosts an important victory.
The match featured two prominent South African coaches on opposing benches.
Pitso Mosimane led South Africa, while Benni McCarthy managed Kenya.
Despite dropping two points, South Africa remained top of Group D with seven points.
Guinea followed closely with six.
AFCON qualification race intensifies
The latest results have added further pressure to several African teams seeking qualification for the 2027 tournament.
Nigeria have improved their position, while Tunisia face an increasingly difficult route.
Morocco and Egypt, meanwhile, strengthened their campaigns with convincing victories.
Yet the standout moment belonged to Salah.
His 70th international goal established a new benchmark in Egyptian football and added another milestone to an already remarkable career.