Agadir, Morocco – Egypt survived a major scare against Benin to secure their place in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals with a hard-fought 3-1 victory after extra time. The match, held on Monday at the Grand Stade d'Agadir, saw the seven-time champions pushed to their limits by a resilient Benin side.

The first half proved to be uneventful, with few clear-cut chances for either side. Omar Marmoush came closest to breaking the deadlock, but his effort was thwarted by Benin's goalkeeper Marcel Dandjinou. Egypt continued to face frustration as the Benin defense held firm, denying Ramy Rabia's attempt near the hour mark.

Egypt finally broke the deadlock in the 69th minute with a stunning strike from Marwan Attia, who found the top corner with a first-time effort from the edge of the area. However, Benin responded late in the game when Jodel Dossou capitalized on a loose ball to force extra time.

In extra time, Egypt pressed for a winner, and their efforts paid off when Yasser Ibrahim looped a header into the far corner from a well-worked short corner routine. With Benin pushing for an equaliser, Mohamed Salah sealed the victory for Egypt with a goal in the final moments of the game.

Egypt will now face either Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals. The Pharaohs, who are aiming for their first AFCON title since 2010, will need to improve their performance if they are to go all the way.

The match extended Egypt's unbeaten record against Benin to five games. However, the unconvincing nature of their victory highlights the challenges they may face in the later stages of the tournament.