West Ham United attacking midfielder, Mohammed Kudus was the main man for Ghana as they took on Egypt in their second group-stage game in the ongoing 2023 AFCON.
After recording an unexpected 1-0 defeat at the hands of Cape Verde in their opening game of the tournament in Ivory Coast, Ghana were condemned to step up against Egypt on January 18.
They indeed stepped up against the Pharaohs as Mohammed Kudus scored the match opener in the additional third minute of the first half.
Kudus’ goal came minutes after Mohamed Salah of Egypt was forced off in the first half due to what appears to be a knock. The Liverpool man struggled to get involved in the game until he limped off after he was substituted.
His early exit from the game did not only spark fear in the hearts of Egyptian fans but also in the hearts of Liverpool fans who wanted him back to the club hale and hearty as they push for their second Premier League title win this season.
In Salah’s absence, Omar Marmoush who plays for Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt stepped up and scored the equaliser for the Egyptian side in the 69th minute.
The setback didn’t stop the Black Stars from pushing to get back to the lead and their push paid off in the 71st minute through the boots of Mohammed Kudus once again.
Unfortunately, three minutes later, Ghana lost the lead as Mostafa Mohamed of Nantes scored the second equalizer of the game in the 74th minute.
After a series of chances from both ends, the game ended in a 2-2 draw at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny.
Pending the outcome of the game between Cape Verde and Mozambique on Friday, Cape Verde are currently topping Group B with three points, Egypt are second with two points, Mozambique are third with one point, and Ghana are fourth with one point.
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As it stands, Mohammed Kudus and his teammates are condemned to win their last group stage game which is against Mozambique on January 22 to stand a chance of qualifying for the next round.
