By Desire Emmanuel
Mohamed Salah scored a first-half penalty as 10-man Egypt defeated South Africa 1-0 in their Africa Cup of Nations Group B clash in Agadir on Friday to become the first team to get to the knockout stages of the competition.
Egypt have six points from their opening two games and have won the group with a game to spare. South Africa have three points from their two games, while Zimbabwe and Angola have one each after they drew 1-1 earlier in the day.
Salah won the penalty when he was clipped in the face by South Africa defender, Khuliso Mudau, as they tussled for the ball in the box, and stepped up to easily convert for his second goal of the tournament.
Egypt lost right-back, Mohamed Hany, to a red card for an ugly stamp at the end of the first half and faced wave after wave of South African attacks in the second period, as the latter were denied a penalty of their own for handball following a lengthy VAR check.
South Africa will feel aggrieved with the spot-kick decision, especially after referee Pacifique Ndabihawenimana was called over to the screen on the sideline.
But they also did not have enough quality in the final third to punish Egypt and drive home their dominance in the second half.
South Africa hsd 17 shots in the second half alone, but many of them were wayward in what will be a frustrating performance for Coach Hugo Broos.
Salah converted the spot-kick, his 65th goal in international football and his second of the tournament in Morocco.
