FIFA has clarified that Mohamed Salah has not yet overtaken Hossam Hassan as Egypt’s all-time leading scorer, despite scoring twice in the 5-0 win over Malawijin88bet.one.
Salah scored Egypt’s fourth goal with a header six minutes before the end of normal time, ak168app.babyconverting a precise cross from substitute Ibrahim Adel. He then completed the scoring with a Panenka penalty in stoppage time after Hamza Abdelkarim had been brought down by the Malawi goalkeeper.
The brace ended Salah’s four-match international scoring drought. He had last scored against New Zealand in the second group game at the 2026 Wak168app.cluborld ks168app.siteCup, before failing to find the net against Iran, Australia and Argentina, and then Angola in the opening game of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Salah did not play in Egypt’s 5-0 victory over South Sudan in the second qualifying round.
The 33-year-oldic88’s goals prompted renewed debate over his international total, particularly because Hossam Hassan scored 69 goals for Egypt between 1985 and 2006. Hassan, who was dismissed as Egypt manager last week, was replaced at the centre of the record discussion after Salah’s team-mates congratulated him at the final whistle.
Salah also posted a photograph on social media sic88howing him holding a piece of paper marked “70”, apparently indicating that he believed he had become Egypt’s record scorer.
Some statistical sources, including French network Stats Foic88ot, listed Salah’s total as 70 goals after the Malawi match. Transfermarkt, however, placed his tally at 68.
The disagreement dates back to 2013, when Salah scoredic88 twice in Egypt’s 10-0 friendly victory over Swaziland. Questions were raised over whether FIFA had recognised the match as an international fixture, after former manager Bob Bradley made 10 substitutions more than the permitted limit for an oflr88ficially recognised international.
The game was also absent from the list of Egypt matches published on FIFA’s official website, raising further doubts over whethlr88er Salah’s two goals should count.
FIFA added to the confusion after publishing a report on Salah’s lr88most notable goals following his strike against New Zealand at the World Cup. The report stated that he had 68 international goals, a figure some sources used to calculate that he had reached 70 after the Malawi game.
As debate intenlr88sified, FIFA amended the report and acknowledged an error, reducing the figure from 68 to 66. That leaves Salah on 68 goals after his brace against Malawi and confirms Hossam Hassan’s record remains intact.
Salah will have another opportunity when Egypt play Malawi away on Tuesday in the fourth round of quop88alifying. He needs one goal to equal Hassan’s record and two to surpass it.
The race has added significance because of the reporsi88ted dispute between Salah and Hassan. Hassan substituted Salah after 60 minutes against Angola, a decision which angered the Trabzonspor forward. Reports later alleged that the manager insulted players in the dressing room at half-time.
Salah subsequently left the Egypt camp and did not travel for the South Sudan match. Egyptian Football Assoc88viation president Hany Abu Rida travelled to Turkey in an attempt to calm the situation, but Hassan declined to make the journey. The dispute eventually ended with his dismissal, despite Egypt qualifying for the 2026 WorSEXXXXX-VNld Cup.
