Mohamed Salah Sets New Record as Egypt's Top Goalscorer

In a remarkable display, Mohamed Salah has become Egypt's all-time leading goalscorer, achieving this milestone during a 5-0 victory over Malawi in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. Scoring twice, Salah reached 70 international goals, surpassing the previous record held by Hossam Hassan. The match also marked a successful debut for new head coach Ali Maher. Salah's impressive performance continues as he thrives in his club career with Trabzonspor, where he has already netted nine goals this season. Egypt will face Malawi again soon, with Salah now firmly established as the nation's top scorer.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 14, 2026, 17:14 IST

Salah Achieves Historic Milestone

Cairo [Egypt], November 14: Mohamed Salah has officially become Egypt's all-time leading goalscorer, netting two goals in a decisive 5-0 win against Malawi during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Saturday. This victory allowed him to reach a remarkable total of 70 international goals, highlighted by a clever Panenka penalty in stoppage time.

The 34-year-old forward, currently playing for Trabzonspor in Turkey, matched the previous record held by Hossam Hassan with a header in the 84th minute. He then secured his record-breaking 70th goal with a composed penalty kick, as reported by ESPN.

Since making his international debut in 2011, Salah has scored 70 goals in 123 matches, solidifying his status as Egypt's most prolific scorer. The match at Cairo International Stadium began with Nasser Maher scoring the opening goal, converting a low cross from Mohamed Hany for his first international goal. Omar Marmoush quickly followed, doubling the lead in the 10th minute after capitalizing on a defensive mistake by Malawi.

Egypt maintained control of the game, with Hany scoring a stunning long-range goal just before halftime, marking his first goal for the national team. Malawi had a chance to score midway through the first half, but goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir made a crucial save against Richard Mbulu.

After missing a one-on-one chance in the 71st minute, Salah finally found the net with a header from an Ibrahim Adel cross in the 84th minute. He then converted a penalty in injury time after a foul by Malawi's goalkeeper on Hamza Abdelkarim, sealing the emphatic win and claiming the national scoring record.

This match also marked a successful debut for Egypt's new head coach, Ali Maher, who took over on November 7 after Hassan's departure. Maher fielded an attacking lineup featuring Salah, Marmoush, and Mahmoud Trezeguet. Salah's record-setting performance comes as he enjoys a strong start to his club season at Trabzonspor, where he has scored nine goals in 11 league matches. During his nine years at Liverpool, he became the club's leading Premier League scorer with 191 goals and achieved a record 277 goal contributions for a single club in the league. Egypt is set to face Malawi again on Tuesday, with Salah now firmly established as the nation's leading international goalscorer.