Ghana’s star, Mohammed Kudus, marked his AFCON debut with a stellar performance against Egypt on Thursday, January 18, at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. Having missed the 2019 edition due to injury, Kudus’ return was eagerly anticipated by fans.
Despite missing Ghana’s opening game against Cape Verde, Kudus showcased his prowess by scoring two goals against Egypt. His first strike came at the 45+3 minute mark, a powerful shot from the edge of the box that got past Egypt’s goalkeeper, El Shenawy. Kudus swiftly added a second just two minutes after Omar Marmoush leveled the score for the Pharaohs from an error from Inaki Williams, at the 71st minute.
The elation for Ghana was short-lived as the Egyptians capitalized on a mistake from Osman Bukari, allowing Mohamed Mostafa to seize the opportunity and equalize.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Kudus expressed his disappointment, stating that Ghana could have clinched victory if not for silly mistakes.
“The goals they scored were from some silly mistakes from us, which we should learn from as we put this game aside and focus on the next one”, he said.
Kudus mentioned that Egypt was a formidable team, praising the Black Stars for their enthusiasm and energy. He emphasized the potential for qualifying to the next stage in the competition and the ultimate aim of the team.
“Credit to all the boys, everyone gave their best and we need to do the same in our next game. The focus is one game after the other and we would do well to bring the trophy home”, he stated.
Ghana is yet to secure a victory in Group B and currently occupies the lowest position in the group, underscoring the significance of their upcoming final group match against Mozambique, Monday, January 22, at the Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara.