In their first match in Group B of the African Cup of Nations, Egypt fought back from a one-goal deficit to beat Zimbabwe 2-1, with Mohamed Salah scoring the winning goal in stoppage time.
The Liverpool star started his first game in four games and made the perfect start to a tough AFCON campaign with a rousing bobble in stoppage time to beat 40-year-old Washington Albi.
Salah added to Manchester City forward Omar Marmouche’s equaliser, aiming for a fifth and first AFCON win in a record seven-time championship bid. He hit Egypt’s 35th of 35 shots and Zimbabwe’s eighth to save his team.
Zimbabwe took a shock lead in the 20th minute in Agadir despite Egypt’s dominance in Prince Dube.
It looked like Egypt would continue to be in a frenzy thanks to a combination of volatile finishing and impressive play from Albi, who made nine stops in total.
Manchester City’s Omar Marmouche scored the equalizer in the 64th minute.
However, it was Marmouche who displayed a classy first touch as he hit the roof of the net after advancing into the Zimbabwe area.
Pressure was already on Egypt to avoid an upset after South Africa started Group B with a 2-1 win over Angola earlier in the day. The Pharaohs are in a good position to advance through the group and are preparing for a thrilling match against Bafana Bafana on Boxing Day.
