Cape Verde striker, Jamiro Monteiro scored the opener against the Black Stars of Ghana in the 17th minute at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan, but Ghana’s equalizer by Alexander Djiku was chalked off late in the first half after a Ghanaian player was caught obstructing the views of the goalie.
However, Ghana managed to equalize in the second half of the encounter and the Black Stars kept going forward in search of a win.
But in the first minute of stoppage-time, slapstick defending cost Ghana the match as Djiku, Mohamed Salisu and their goalkeeper Richard Ofori mangled their communication and tangled their legs to present Garry Rodrigues with an open goal.
He gleefully slotted in to spark celebrations for Cape Verde who had never beaten Ghana in a competitive match.
The game highlighted Egypt’s disappointment as Mozambique exhibited defensive strength and prowess that caught the Pharaohs off guard throughout the match.
Egypt took an early lead in the game by opening the scoreline through its player Mostafa Mohamed in the second minute of the match.
The second half, however, witnessed heightened excitement as Mozambique scored two goals, one in the 55th minute and another in the 58th minute. The result shifted the momentum of the game, leaving Egypt struggling to maintain the pace.
Egypt is one of the favorites to win this year’s titles, along with 2022 champion Senegal, World Cup semi-finalist Morocco, as well as Cote d’Ivoire.
The 2-2 draw recodred by Egypt and Mozambique meant both nations are joint second on the log while the Black Stars are rooted bottom of group B.
Surprisingly, little rated Cape Verde top group B after defeating the Black Stars of Ghana 2-1.