Egypt twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations on Thursday after losing captain Mohamed Salah to injury in the first half.
Mohammed Kudus scored both goals for Ghana, drilling in the opener from 20 meters soon after Salah went off in the Group B clash at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium.
Omar Marmoush pounced on an error to equalize for Egypt midway through the second half, but Kudus struck again right away to restore Ghana’s lead.
The Black Stars were left to rue another mistake as Mostafa Mohamed leveled on 74 minutes, leaving Ghana with just one point from two matches.
Egypt are only one point better off after back-to-back draws, but their immediate concern will be the health of Salah—whose stoppage-time penalty had snatched a 2-2 draw with Mozambique.
Ghana has now won just one of their last 11 AFCON matches. They were stunned 2-1 in their first game by Cape Verde, the smallest nation in the tournament who can clinch a last-16 place and top spot in the group with a victory over Mozambique on Friday.
Chris Hughton made three changes to his Ghana side as he recalled Kudus and Spain-born striker Inaki Williams, knowing another loss would leave them staring at a second successive first-round exit.
The past four AFCON meetings between the countries had yielded just five goals, a trend that looked set to continue in a quiet first half in which Emam Ashour’s 43rd-minute shot was the first on target.
Moments later though Egypt lost their talisman Salah and then almost immediately fell behind.
The Liverpool forward slumped to the grass as Ghana countered-attacked, clutching the back of his left leg and resigned to the fact his night at the very least was over.
With Egypt still reeling from the loss of Salah, it was Ghana’s key man Kudus who seized the spotlight, shifting the ball away from a couple of defenders and rifling a left-footed drive into the near corner.
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