Mohamed Salah goal gives Egypt narrow win over Guinea Bissau in Africa Cup of Nations

Egypt 1-0 Guinea Bissau: Star forward strikes second-half winner, after Nigeria defeat Sudan to secure Group D progress

(AFP via Getty Images)

Mohamed Salah scored his first goal in six matches for Egypt to give them a 1-0 victory over Guinea Bissau in Garoua on Saturday and their first points of the Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Salah’s 69th minute effort came despite a largely anonymous performance from the Egyptian forward as his team battled to beat the minnows from west Africa.

The result was clouded in controversy as Guinea Bissau had a late equaliser ruled out after a VAR check.

Mama Balde thought he had scored with a screamer from a tight angle to level in the 82nd but the referee, after consulting the pitchside monitor, decided he had fouled a defender in the build-up to the goal.

Egypt are now second in Group D after playing two games, three points behind leaders Nigeria who earlier beat Sudan 3-1.

The result ensures that Nigeria progress to the knockout phase with a second successive victory.

An early goal from Samuel Chukwueze provided a positive start and Taiwo Awoniyi netted their second on the stroke of half-time.

It took Moses Simon just 30 seconds of the second half to add a third, but Sudan pulled a goal back with a fortuitous penalty, converted by Walieldin Khedr with 20 minutes left.