The AFCON 2025 third-place winner will be decided this Saturday, January 17, as Egypt and Nigeria battle for a spot on the podium. For this high-stakes encounter, the Pharaohs are expected to rely on Mohamed Salah and his extensive big-game experience to help the team finish the tournament on a high note.
According to the Egyptian Football National Team’s official X account, Salah will start for Egypt in the third-place match against Nigeria. As the captain and most pivotal player for the Pharaohs, he currently leads the team in scoring this tournament with four goals in five matches.
The Liverpool forward was essential during the group stage, netting a stoppage-time goal in the opening 2-1 win over Zimbabwe to start the campaign on the right foot. He followed that up as the lone scorer in the second match against South Africa, sealing Egypt’s qualification for the Round of 16.
The Egypt captain remained clutch during the knockout stage, scoring a crucial goal in extra time to secure a 3-1 victory over Benin in the Round of 16. His most recent goal came in the quarterfinal thriller against Ivory Coast, helping Egypt extend their lead in an eventual 3-2 win.
That goal against Ivory Coast also allowed Salah to continue rewriting the record books of Egyptian soccer. With that strike, Salah joined Hossam Hassan as Egypt’s second all-time leading scorer in AFCON history, with 11 career goals in the competition.
The starting XI confirmed for Egypt
To face Nigeria in the AFCON third-place match, these are the eleven players representing the Pharaohs: Mostafa Shobeir, Mohamed Hany, Rami Rabia, Hamdy Fathy, Khaled Sobhy, Muhannad Lasheen, Emam Ashour, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Mohamed Salah, Mostafa Mohamed.
The road to the semifinals
Both Egypt and Nigeria put together impressive campaigns that their fans should be proud of. The Pharaohs finished at the top of their group and remained undefeated until the semifinals. However, in a hard-fought semifinal clash against Senegal, Sadio Mane managed to score with just 10 minutes remaining to send his side to the tournament final.
On the Nigerian side, the Eagles also reached the semifinals as group leaders, with the added distinction of winning every match they played. However, they faced a grueling test against Morocco, the host nation, in the semifinals. After a tense encounter that ended 0-0 through 120 minutes, Nigeria was ultimately eliminated in a penalty shootout.