Egypt’s star forward, Mohamed Salah, displayed nerves of steel as he converted an injury-time penalty to salvage a draw for his team against Mozambique in their opening Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) group match. The highly anticipated encounter saw the underdogs threatening an upset with two second-half goals, but Salah’s late heroics prevented an unexpected defeat for the North African giants.
Egypt took an early lead within 90 seconds with Mostafa Mohamed finding the net. However, Mozambique turned the tide in the second half, scoring through Witi Quembo’s majestic header and Clesio Bauque’s skillful strike, putting them in contention for a historic victory.
A pivotal moment occurred when a questionable challenge on Mohamed by Domingos Macandza initially went unnoticed. Upon review using VAR, the referee overturned his decision, awarding Egypt a penalty. Salah coolly converted the spot-kick, securing a 2-2 draw by slotting the ball in off the post.
While Egypt dominated the first half, hitting the woodwork through Mahmoud Trezeguet, Mozambique’s clinical finishing in the second half turned the match on its head. Salah, despite missing a crucial chance seven minutes from time, redeemed himself with the late penalty.
In another surprising turn of events, Cape Verde secured a 2-1 victory over Ghana with an injury-time goal, taking them to the top of the group.
Egypt is set to face Ghana in their next match on Thursday, while Mozambique will go up against Cape Verde a day later.
Sympathy for Mozambique as Afcon Upset Nearly Unfolds
Mozambique came close to pulling off a monumental upset against Egypt, with two well-executed second-half goals that had the underdogs on the brink of a historic victory. The use of VAR played a crucial role in awarding Egypt a late penalty, denying Mozambique what could have been a remarkable triumph.
The match highlights the unpredictable nature of the Africa Cup of Nations, with no clear favorites as Egypt and Nigeria both failed to secure wins in their opening games. Mozambique’s commendable performance underscores the competitiveness of the tournament, challenging preconceived notions of match outcomes.