Mohamed Salah becomes Egypt's all-time leading goalscorer with 70 goals after Malawi win

Mohamed Salah scripted history on Friday, November 13, as he became Egypt's all-time leading goalscorer after scoring twice in his team's 5-0 victory over Malawi in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers. The Liverpool legend reached the milestone with his 70th international goal, moving past former striker Hossam Hassan, who had held the record with 69 goals.

The 34-year-old forward completed his brace in the closing stages of the match at Cairo International Stadium. He first found the net with a header before converting a stoppage-time penalty with a Panenka to claim the record outright.

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Salah's first goal came in the 83rd minute when he headed home a cross from Ibrahim Adel. The strike took him level with Hassan's tally of 69 goals. He then stepped up to take a penalty in the 94th minute after Malawi's goalkeeper brought down Hamza Abdelkarim inside the box. Salah calmly chipped the ball down the middle to complete his historic night.

Egypt dominate Malawi to secure comfortable win

Egypt made an impressive start under new head coach Ali Maher, who was appointed on November 7 following the departure of Hossam Hassan. The hosts took the lead in the sixth minute through Nasser Maher, who converted a cross from Mohamed Hany to score his first international goal.

Omar Marmoush doubled Egypt's advantage four minutes later after capitalising on a defensive mistake from Malawi. Mohamed Hany then added a third goal with a superb effort before half-time, marking his first goal for the national team.

Egypt maintained control after the break, with Salah eventually adding his name to the scoresheet twice to complete a 5-0 victory. The result took Egypt to the top of Group B with seven points from three matches.

Salah's record-breaking international career

Salah made his international debut for Egypt in 2011 and has established himself as one of the most influential players in the country's football history. His latest achievement takes him past Hassan, who previously held the national scoring record.

The forward joined Turkish club Trabzonspor after his nine-year spell at Liverpool. During his time at Anfield, he became one of the club's most prolific players and a key figure in its success.

Egypt will face Malawi again on Tuesday, November 17, in the return fixture of their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign. Salah will head into the game as his country's outright leading international goalscorer.