Mohamed Salah Becomes Egypt’s All-Time Leading Goalscorer

Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah became Egypt’s all-time leading goalscorer after scoring twice in the national team’s 5-0 victory over Malawi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers on Friday, 13 November.

The 34-year-old forward scored his first goal in the 84th minute with a header from Ibrahim Adel’s cross, bringing his international tally level with former Egypt captain and coach Hossam Hassan’s record of 69 goals.

Salah then scored his 70th international goal with a Panenka penalty in stoppage time, securing the record in his 123rd appearance for Egypt, according to the Confederation of African Football.

The match, played at Cairo International Stadium, saw Egypt take an early lead through Nasser Maher in the sixth minute, followed by a goal from Omar Marmoush five minutes later. Mohamed Hany added a third before half-time, with Salah scoring twice in the closing minutes.

The victory marked the first match under newly appointed head coach Ali Maher, who replaced Hossam Hassan earlier in November.

Salah made his international debut for Egypt in 2011 and has since become one of the country’s most prominent footballers, representing the national team in major international competitions, including the 2018 FIFA World Cup and several Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

He was also part of the Egyptian squads that reached the AFCON finals in 2017 and 2021, finishing as runners-up on both occasions.

At club level, Salah spent nine years with Liverpool, becoming the club’s highest goalscorer in Premier League history with 191 goals. He also recorded 277 Premier League goal contributions for the club, combining goals and assists.

The Egyptian forward currently plays for Turkish club Trabzonspor, where he has scored nine goals in 11 league appearances this season.

The victory over Malawi placed Egypt at the top of Group B in the 2027 AFCON qualifiers with seven points from three matches.

Egypt will face Malawi again on Tuesday, 17 November, in the return fixture in Lilongwe, as the national team continues its campaign to qualify for the tournament, which will be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.