Sports

Egypt survive Mozambique scare in 2-2 AFCON match

Egypt's Mohamed Salah wait to take a penalty, which he scores for his side second goal of the game during the African Cup of Nations Group B soccer match between Egypt and Mozambique in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)

Egypt survive Mozambique scare in 2-2 AFCON match

Mozambique almost ran away with a victory in their first game against the highly rated Egypt on Sunday, leading 2-1 up until the regulation time

It took Mohamed Salah’s late penalty to spare Egypt’s embarrassment by drawing 2-2 in their Africa Cup of Nations opener.

Salah scored from the spot in the seventh minute of second-half stoppage time after Domingos was adjudged to have fouled Mostafa Mohamed in a VAR review.

That denied Mozambique its first-ever tournament win at the 13th attempt. But the team was still cheered by the majority of fans at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium.

The stadium, which had been filling up with Ghana and Cape Verde fans for the later match at the same venue, erupted when Mozambique winger Witi equalized with a header to Domingos’ cross in the 55th, and again three minutes later when Clésio Baúque fired the underdogs ahead.

There were boos when the seven minutes of injury time was announced and cries of “Mozambique, Mozambique” rang around the stadium.