In their opening Africa Cup of Nations game on Sunday, Egypt was saved from an embarrassing defeat to Mozambique by Liverpool forward, Mohamed Salah.
Naija News reports that the 31-year-old player successfully converted a penalty in the seventh minute of injury time, resulting in a 2-2 draw with Mozambique.
The penalty was awarded after a VAR check by the referee, who determined that Mostafa Mohamed had been fouled in the area at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan. Salah’s goal denied Mozambique the opportunity to secure their first-ever AFCON win.
Egypt, a record seven-time African champion, had a promising start when Mohamed scored within two minutes of the Group B encounter. However, the intense heat and humidity of the late afternoon kick-off seemed to take a toll on the Pharaohs.
Mozambique, who had previously failed to win a match in their four past appearances at the Cup of Nations, managed to equalize through Witness Quembo in the 55th minute.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Mozambique managed to score once again just three minutes after their previous goal.
This time, it was Clesio Bauque, who came on as a substitute during half-time, that broke through the defense and secured a 2-1 lead.
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However, despite their efforts, the Mambas were unable to maintain their lead and secure a memorable victory, as Salah remained composed and scored a crucial goal at the end of the game. In the same stadium, later on, group rivals Ghana and Cape Verde will face each other.
