In Abidjan, Egypt staged two comebacks to secure a 2-2 draw against Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations, following an energetic second half.
In the first half’s stoppage time, Mohammed Kudus fired a shot to give Ghana the lead, just a minute after Egypt’s captain, Mohamed Salah, was forced off the field due to injury.
Omar Marmoush equalized for Egypt, but Ghana’s Kudus swiftly regained the Black Stars’ lead with a deflected effort.
Nevertheless, Mostafa Mohamed’s decisive strike earned Egypt their second point, leaving Ghana without a win in their two Group B matches.
Late opportunities arose for both teams to secure victory, as Ghana’s goalkeeper Richard Ofori saved Emam Ashour’s shot, while Egypt’s keeper Mohamed El Shenawy struggled to clear a corner, which Iddrisu Baba couldn’t redirect towards the goal.
Chris Hughton’s Black Stars suffered a defeat in their opening game against Cape Verde, putting the four-time continental champions on the verge of a potential second consecutive group-stage elimination from the Afcon finals.
Cape Verde could clinch the top spot in Group B by defeating Mozambique on Tuesday (14:00 GMT), leaving both Egypt and Ghana anxiously awaiting the outcomes of the final round of games on Monday to determine their fate.
The 24-team format means three points may be enough to qualify as one of four best third-placed sides.
Salah forced off before Kudus comes to party
Salah, who had secured a 2-2 draw for Egypt against Mozambique with a 97th-minute penalty in their initial match, played a limited role in the Ghana game before expressing his frustration by collapsing to the ground and subsequently walking off the field.
This injury is worrisome for both the North African team, runners-up at the 2021 Afcon, and Liverpool, considering the 31-year-old’s pivotal role in their pursuit of the Premier League title.
Egypt coach coach Rui Vitoria said: “We don’t know yet what is the problem. I hope it is not a big problem. “Now, I don’t know because it is early to see something. I think it is not dangerous but let’s see if Salah recovers.”
Moments later Kudus, who had missed Ghana’s opener through injury, provided the only spark in a first half which was low on quality.
The 23-year-old gained possession just outside the penalty area D and displayed nimble footwork to evade two defenders before releasing a left-footed shot that soared inside the left-hand upright.
The second half was filled with events, and Mohamed Abdelmonem believed he had equalized six minutes after the break from Ahmed Hegazi’s header across goal. However, the assistant referee raised the flag for an offside in the build-up, and the decision was upheld by the video assistant referee.
Egypt, the seven-time Afcon champions, did manage to level the score in the 69th minute when Marmoush seized on an errant backpass from Inaki Williams, circumvented Ofori, and slotted in from a tight angle.
Nevertheless, Ghana swiftly regained the lead just 141 seconds later. Denis Odoi found Kudus in the area, and his left-footed strike deflected off the shoulder of the unfortunate Abdelmonem, finding the bottom left-hand corner.
Once again, the Black Stars couldn’t maintain their lead, as Trezeguet dispossessed Osman Bukari and set up Mohamed for a clever finish through Ofori’s legs. This outcome leaves both teams with work to do in their final group games.