Defending champions Egypt finished their Group C campaign at the 2010 Africa Cup of Nations with a perfect record of three wins after a comfortable 2-0 victory over Benin in Benguela.
The result ended any pre-match hopes Benin might have had of reaching the quarterfinals. For that to happen, they needed to win here and hope that Nigeria beat Mozambique in Lubango. In the end, only half of that equation came to fruition.
Egypt never looked unduly troubled, despite making a number of changes to their side after sealing their place as group winners by beating Mozambique last time out.
First-half goals from Ahmed al Muhammadi and Emad Motaeb were enough to seal the points and leave The Pharaohs as the only side in the competition with a perfect record of wins in the group stages.
Hassan Shehata's side were ahead after just seven minutes as Al Muhammadi's attempted cross floated over Benin goalkeeper Yoann Djidonou and into the net. Fortuitous maybe, but the keeper did not react well to the ball in the box and needs to take some responsibility for the goal.
Razak Omotoyossi made a nuisance of himself in the Egypt box, but failed to get a shot away, and it was The Pharaohs who extended their advantage.
Egypt scored a second time after Motaeb powered a header goalwards, which Djidonou palmed onto the post, causing it to rebound across the goalline. Motaeb reacted quickest to the loose ball and turned his shot goalwards again. Once more Djidonou made the save, but referee Daniel Bennett quite rightly adjudged the ball to have crossed the line.
The score was nearly 3-0 when Mohamed Abdelshafi directed a header straight at Djidonou – had he placed it a metre either side of the keeper, it would have been in the net.
In the dying minutes of the first half, Ahmed Raouf had another – albeit tough – chance at the back post to net a third for the Egyptians, but could only scuff the ball wide of the goal.
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Motaeb should have scored too when he found himself one-on-one with Djidonou, but the goalkeeper smothered his shot and was able to clear.
Substitute Mohamed Aoudou fired a header straight at Egypt goalkeeper Essam al Hadari at the other end, while Arnaud Seka, the shortest man in the tournament at just 4 foot, 9 inches, blasted his shot over when well-placed.
As Benin began to press for a way back into the game, Aoudou had another headed chance, forcing a good save from Al Hadari.
Omotoyossi shot wildly wide when he should at least have hit the target, while Aoudou instinctively stuck out a right boot to try and turn a cross home, but once again the ball flashed wide of the mark.
Mohamed Zidan embarked on a mazy run that had the Benin defence at sixes and sevens, but his shot was well saved by Djidonou, who went on to pull off a number of late, desperate saves to keep the scoreline down.
Egypt will play the runners-up in Group D in the next round, which could still be any one of Gabon, Cameroon, Tunisia or Zambia. That pool set will be decided on Thursday.
