Egypt beat Zimbabwe in Africa Cup of Nations opener

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Hosts Egypt beat Zimbabwe 1-0 late Friday in the opening match of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

Turkish top-tier Super Lig football club Kasimpasa's winger Trezeguet scored the winning goal for Egypt in the first half in the Group A match held in Cairo.

English club Liverpool's world famous Egyptian football star Mohamed Salah played in the match for 90 minutes.

The other Group A match will be played between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda on Saturday.

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, the continent's most important football tournament, kicked off on Friday.

The 32nd AFCON tournament is being held in Egypt -- its fifth time acting as host -- from June 21 to July 19.

This year, the competition has expanded from 16 teams to 24.

The top two nations from six groups and the four best third-place nations will qualify for the round of 16.