Two late goals from Geny Catamo and Reinildo Mandava saw Mozambique comeback from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Ghana in their final 2023 Africa Cup of Nations Group B match in Abidjan on Monday night.
The Black Stars needed three points to avoid an early exit and it looked they were in control when Jordan Ayew scored from the penalty spot either half.
Nerves began to unsettle with the Ghanaian players towards the end of the match and Mozambique capitalised on it by netting from the penalty spot courtesy of Catamo. The Mambas still had time for one more through Atletico Madrid full-back Mandava’s header from a corner kick.
The result leaves Ghana’s hopes of making it to the knockout phase hanging by a thread as they would need either Cameroon or the Gambia to win in Group C while also needing Morocco to win Zambia by more than two goals and DR Congo getting to better of Tanzania in Group F, to make it through.
In the other simultaneous Group B game, Cape Verde finished on top with a 2-2 draw against seven-time AFCON champions Egypt.
Benchimol had given the Blue Sharks the lead in added time of the first half but the Pharaohs responded back in the 50th through Trezeguet before Mostafa Mohamed netted his third goal at this AFCON in as many games in added time with Trezeguet turning provider.
At this point, Egypt were quaranteed of their place in the knockout phase but received a scare when Bryan Teixeira leveled for the Cape Vardeans in the ninth minute of added time.
One word for the score line from match day 10?
Equatorial Guinea???????? 4-0 ????????Ivory Coast
Guinea Bissau???????? 0-1 ????????Nigeria
Cape Verde???????? 2-2 ????????Egypt
Mozambique???????? 2-2 ????????Ghana#Afrosport #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/IGzj3trUCH
— AfroSport (@AfroSportTV) January 22, 2024
The draw was still enough to see Egypt through in second place with three points, four behind group winners Cape Verde and one point behind Ghana and Mozambique.
