The unconvincing fashion in which both teams advanced from the group stages suggested this encounter may not be a classic, and the first half was certainly not one that will live long in the memory.
That said, Egypt did start relatively brightly, and they could have taken the lead with only eight minutes on the clock when a through ball put Omar Marmoush one-on-one with Marcel Dandjinou, but after electing not to shoot, the forward was dispossessed by the onrushing goalkeeper.
With the Cheetah’s primary focus on staying in the contest during the first half, they posed very little threat from an attacking perspective. Their only moment of note came when Junior Olaitan’s free-kick from distance was gathered by Mohamed El Shenawy.
Not long after, Egypt threatened to take the lead when a loose ball inside the area was poked goalwards by Marmoush, but he couldn’t produce the required power, and the effort was blocked on its path to goal.
Appearing in their first AFCON knockout game since 2019, Benin were battling away to remain in the contest, and they came close to taking the lead shortly after the hour mark. A precise through ball played in Jodel Dossou, yet his effort was saved by El Shenawy, who rushed off his line to good effect, thwarting the substitute from close range.
With 69 minutes played, it looked as if Egypt had put one foot in the quarter-finals in stunning fashion.
A ball from the byline was pulled back to Marwan Attia, whose powerful first-time effort flew into the top-left corner of the net to send the Egyptian fans into delirium.
However, the Cheetahs refused to give in, and with just seven minutes of normal time remaining, they dramatically drew level when Dossou forced the ball home on the rebound from a matter of yards to send the game to extra-time.
Egypt might have feared the worst at this point, but seven minutes into extra-time, they restored their lead when Attia’s cross into the area found Yasser Ibrahim, who sent his header looping over the despairing Dandjinou and into the net.
This goal looked to have broken Benin’s spirit, and in the final minute of added time in extra time, Mohamed Salah put the seal on the win with a well-taken finish on the counter, ensuring safe passage to the quarter-finals, where the Pharaohs will meet either Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso on Saturday.
The seven-time AFCON winners are now just three victories away from a first competition win since 2010.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Yasser Ibrahim (Egypt)