Mohamed Salah, saved Egypt from an embarrassing defeat in their first Africa Cup of Nations game on Sunday, converting a penalty seven minutes into injury time to earn a 2-2 draw with Mozambique.
The penalty was awarded after a VAR check by the referee for a foul on Mostafa Mohamed in the area at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan, and Salah’s goal denied Mozambique a historic first-ever AFCON victory.
“It was an extremely difficult game. “I was sad to see my players devastated at the end because we deserved to win,” said Mozambique’s coach, Chiquinho Conde.
Mohamed gave record seven-time African champions Egypt the ideal start by scoring within two minutes of the Group B encounter, but the sapping, the Pharaohs appeared to succumb to the heat and humidity.
Mozambique, who had failed to win a match in 12 previous appearances at the Cup of Nations, equalized in the 55th minute through Witiness Quembo.
The game was completely turned on its head when Mozambique scored again three minutes later, with Clesio Bauque, on as a half-time substitute, breaking through to make it 2-1.
Salah saved Egypt, but it was a shaky start to their campaign in Ivory Coast, where they are aiming for a record-breaking eighth AFCON title and their first since 2010, before the Liverpool superstar made his international debut.
“I want to win every match I play, and when we don’t, it makes me sad, but there are no easy games,” Egypt coach Rui Vitoria said.
“We were not the best team before the draw was made and we are not the worst now.”
Their next match, against Ghana on Thursday, could make or break their campaign before the final group game against Cape Verde.
Egypt defeated Mozambique on its way to the title in 1986 and 2010, as well as in a 1998 match.
The Pharaohs, who finished second to Senegal two years ago, scored with their first chance, when Nantes striker Mohamed controlled, swiveled, and fired home inside the box after Salah failed to connect with a Mohamed Hamdy cross.
Mahmoud Trezeguet hit a shot off the outside of the post in the 25th minute as Egypt attempted to turn the screw, but the conditions appeared to worsen as the halftime break approached.
Mozambique had their moments late in the first half, and Egyptian goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy made a good save to prevent Hamdy from scoring an own goal.
Conde, Mozambique’s coach, switched to a three-man central defence for the restart, making two substitutions, including former Benfica winger Clesio.
The equaliser came when Quembo, also known as ‘Witi’, rose unchallenged at the near post to head in Domingos Macandza’s cross from the right, with El Shenawy only able to assist the ball on its way.
Clesio then stormed through to make it 2-1 and appeared to be the man who would lead his country to their first victory in the tournament.
The Mauritanian referee thwarted them by ruling that Macandza fouled Mohamed in the area at the death, allowing Salah to score from the spot.
However, Mozambique midfielder Guima, who was named man of the match, insisted that their performance will instill confidence in their teammates.
“We are not thinking small, we are thinking big, and like we showed today, we are ready to fight against everyone and you can count on us,” he told the crowd.