The Pharaohs of Egypt escaped defeat in their 2-2 Africa Cup of Nations opener against Mozambique thanks to a late Mohamed Salah penalty at the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Stadium in Abidjan on Sunday.
Egypt surged into an early lead when Mostafa Mohamed scored an absolute rocket from outside the box in just the 2nd minute. It was the fastest goal so far in AFCON 2023 and the second fastest in tournament history.
However, the early joy soon faded for Egypt as they struggled to impress and contain a lively Mozambique side for the rest of the first half.
The Mambas equalized in the 55th minute through Witness Ouembo’s clinical header before Clesio Bauque capitalized on poor defending to put Mozambique ahead just 3 minutes later.
With Egypt staring at a shock defeat, Salah earned a lifeline after he was fouled in the area in the dying minutes. The Liverpool star kept his composure to convert the penalty and salvage a 2-2 draw for the 7-time champions.
The result leaves Egypt with work to do heading into their next match against Ghana.
Mozambique will, however, also take plenty of confidence into their game against Cape Verde after earning a valuable point against the tournament favorites.