Mohamed Salah's Egypt started their bid for a record-extending eighth Africa Cup of Nations trophy on Friday with a 1-0 win over Zimbabwe in Cairo in the opening game of a tournament expanded to 24 teams and played in June and July for the first time. Liverpool star Salah, on a redemption mission with Egypt after injury derailed a miserable World Cup campaign last year, looked sharp although the hosts needed a 41st-minute goal by Mahmoud 'Trezeguet' Hassan to get off to a winning start in Group A.
In keeping with April's spectacular tournament draw under the gaze of the Sphinx, a striking 30-minute opening ceremony preceded kick-off in Cairo, where a backdrop of pyramids and statues from Egyptian mythology set the stage for a fireworks display to illuminate the ground.
The arrival of the Egyptian players for the warm-up induced a deafening roar from the capacity 75,000-crowd, who predictably reserved the loudest reception for Salah as his name was read out among the starting line-ups. With the temperature having dipped to a more palatable 27 Celsius (81 Fahrenheit) by the start Egypt, the tournament favourites and 2017 runners-up, immediately looked threatening, Salah orchestrating much of the attack as he swung in a pair of teasing crosses - the second forcing Edmore Sibanda to tip over a looping Marwan Mohsen header. Salah was again involved 10 minutes later, intricately exchanging passes on the edge of the Zimbabwe box to carve out a chance for Abdallah Elsaid.