Mohamed Salah scored a stoppage-time penalty to rescue a 2-2 draw for Egypt against Mozambique in their Africa Cup of Nations Group B opener in Abidjan on Sunday. The Liverpool forward converted seven minutes into added time after Mozambique had taken the lead with two quick second-half goals.
Egypt had taken an early lead through Mostafa Mohamed's second-minute strike, but a brief loss of concentration allowed Mozambique to turn the game around. Coach Rui Vitória admitted his side's lapse proved costly. 'We lost concentration for three minutes, but we are still in the race to qualify; nothing is lost,' he told beIN Sports.
Mohamed Salah, deployed in a deeper role, had a quiet game until his late intervention. Striker Mostafa Mohamed cited the humid conditions as a factor in Egypt's performance. 'The weather in Africa is different; humidity is high and the concentration drops,' he said. 'The best thing is that we learn early, so we know our mistakes before the crucial rounds.'
In other Group B action, Cape Verde stunned Ghana 2-1 with a stoppage-time winner from Garry Rodrigues. Ghana had equalised through Alexander Djiku in the second half after falling behind to Jamiro Monteiro's early goal, but Rodrigues struck late to secure the win.
Earlier, Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in Group A. Victor Osimhen headed the equaliser after Iban Salvador had given Equatorial Guinea a surprise lead, but Nigeria failed to convert their dominance into a winning goal.
