Mohamed Salah admitted Egypt are not among the favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations after needing extra time to overcome Benin 3-1 in Agadir to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Egypt kept Marcel Dandjinou plenty busy in the first half but could not find a way past the Benin goalkeeper who looked in inspired form.
Marwan Attia broke the deadlock in the 69th minute, guiding home an assured finish after Salah had initiated a move down the right.
Benin refused to be overawed by a team ranked 57 places above them by Fifa, and grabbed a well-deserved equaliser when Jodel Dossou capitalised on a defensive error to equalise and force extra time.
Egypt's experience eventually proved decisive, with Yasser Ibrahim restoring the Pharaohs' lead with a lopping header on 97 minutes before Salah sealed victory with a quick counter-attack in the 124th minute.
With it, Egypt secured a place in the last eight, where they will face either defending champions Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso in the quarter-finals in Agadir on Saturday. It ended Benin's hopes of replicating their 2019 run to the quarter-finals.
Hossam Hassan's side are bidding to win the title for the first time since 2010 and a record eight times overall.
"I don't think we are a favourite at all [to win the title]" Salah told reporters. "We have young players, and most of them play in Egypt. We just fight for our country ... but everybody gives their best and you could see today".
The 33-year-old Liverpool forward said there were no easy games in Afcon.
"The level is quite similar, I told the team yesterday that no side loses by four or five goals. [Benin] have a good team and a good coach ... I'm glad we managed to win in the end".
Salah's goal was his 10th in 22 games at Afcon, two fewer than Hassan El-Shazly, Egypt's all-time top scorer in the tournament and one fewer than his current coach Hassan.
Osimhen at the double for Nigeria
There were no such problems for Nigeria as a brace by star striker Victor Osimhen set the Super Eagles up for a comfortable 4-0 victory over Mozambique.
Nigeria topped their group with three wins but without really convincing that they were serious title contenders in Morocco.
Any doubts over their title credentials were dispelled in ruthless fashion in Fes, however.
Osimhen was wheeling away in celebration with barely two minutes on the clock before his goal was ruled out for offside.
Nigeria would not have to wait much longer to start celebrating, Ademola Lookman finishing with aplomb after a neat cutback in the area by the lively Akor Adams.
Atalanta forward Lookman then turned provider for Osimhen, who doubled Nigeria's lead five minutes later with a close-range finish.
The game was effectively over two minutes after the restart as Galatasaray striker Osimhen tapped home to make it 3-0.
Adams sealed victory with an emphatic strike on 75 minutes to set the Super Eagles up with a quarter-final showdown against either Algeria or DR Congo on Saturday.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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'Saand Ki Aankh'
Produced by: Reliance Entertainment with Chalk and Cheese Films
Director: Tushar Hiranandani
Cast: Taapsee Pannu, Bhumi Pednekar, Prakash Jha, Vineet Singh
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
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Normcore explained
Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
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Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
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Russia's Muslim Heartlands
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Usain Bolt's time for the 100m at major championships
2008 Beijing Olympics 9.69 seconds
2009 Berlin World Championships 9.58
2011 Daegu World Championships Disqualified
2012 London Olympics 9.63
2013 Moscow World Championships 9.77
2015 Beijing World Championships 9.79
2016 Rio Olympics 9.81
2017 London World Championships 9.95
Sole survivors
Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
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Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
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Rating: 3.5/5 stars