Egypt forward Mohamed Salah has officially become the all-time leading goalscorer in the history of the Pharaohs, reaching the historic milestone during a commanding Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Malawi.

The former Liverpool attacker capped off the rout with a late brace, striking in the 84th minute before converting a penalty in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time. The double lifts Salah to 70 international goals in 121 appearances, surpassing the long-standing record of 69 goals in 176 matches set by Egyptian football legend Hossam Hassan.

In a notable twist of timing, Hassan—who represented the national team as a striker between 1985 and 2006—served as Egypt’s head coach until just last week. He was succeeded by Ali Maher, who marked his managerial debut at the helm of the national side with this emphatic qualifying triumph.

Egypt and Malawi will meet again in the reverse fixture in Lilongwe on Tuesday, November 17, where a second consecutive victory would move the Pharaohs a major step closer to booking their place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations finals, set to be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania.