VIDEO: Salah & Elneny reach 100 caps as Egypt thrash Botswana

The Pharaohs continued their hot streak under Hossam Hassan beating Botswana 4-0 in their second game of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Egypt had won the opening game 3-0 against Cape Verde in Cairo to sit top of the group ahead of travelling to Francistown to face Botswana.

On the other hand, the hosts were in an unenviable position after losing their first game against Mauritania and only arriving in Botswana just hours before the game.

But still, Hossam Hassan had a tough situation to deal with as he was forced to change his lineup heavily due to the injuries of Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Mohamed as well as the absence of several key players like Ahmed Hegazi, Emam Ashour, and Mohamed Abdelmonem.

Egypt U23 striker Osama Faisal came in for Mostafa Mohamed, while Cleopatra FC’s Khaled Sobhi was handed his debut to fill in the void left by Hegazi and Abdelmonem in the heart of the defence.

Egypt XI: Mohamed El-Shennawy, Mohamed Hany, Rami Rabia, Khaled Sobhi, Mohamed Hamdi, Hamdi Fathi, Marwan Ateya, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Mohamed Salah, Osama Faisal.

The lack of preparation for Botswana was visible from the start and it didn’t take Egypt long to break the deadlock as Salah was put through on goal, but his effort was blocked by the keeper for Trezeguet to easily put the rebound into the back of the net after just four minutes.

The visitors continued their dominance and Zizo should have made it two in the 12th minute, but could turn Trezeguet’s low cross into a goal.

In the 29th minute, Trezeguet killed the game with a second goal as a brilliant through pass from Rami Rabia put the new Al-Rayyan forward through on-goal for him to put it past the Botswanan keeper.

Egypt started the second half as they ended the first. In the 56th minute, a howler from the Botswanan keeper saw centurion Mohamed Salah tap in Mohamed Hamdi’s low cross from close range to make it 3-0.

The hosts had two chances to score in the second-half, but both efforts didn’t trouble El-Shennawy and went wide.

In the 75th minute, Mohamed Salah, Trezeguet, and Mohamed Hamdi were all subbed off for Ibrahim Adel, Ahmed Nabil Kouka, and Mohamed Elneny, who also hit his 100 cap alongside the Liverpool star.

Mostafa Fathi and Nasser Maher also came on for Zizo and Hamdi Fathi in the 83rd minute.

With just a few seconds left on the full-time whistle, a beautiful solo run and a cross by Ibrahim Adel found Mostafa Fathi for the Egyptian fourth goal.

Egypt now tops the group with six points from two games. They have scored seven goals and did not concede any in the first two games. The Pharaohs continue their campaign in October 2024 with home and away games against Mauritania.