By

Eniola Olatunji 

Despite a resounding dominance in all departments of the game, Africa’s most decorated team, Pharaohs of Egypt on Monday night at the Stage Adar Arena, Agadir in Morocco sweated like a fish inside water to get a 2-1 victory over Chipolopolo of Zimbabwe with an added time goal of 90+1 minutes.

28 year old Prince Mpumelelo Dube who plays professional football in Tanzania got a pass from defender Emmanuel Jalai playing upfront to upset the Egyptians in the 20th minute. 

Egypt that has been seven times winner of AFCON titles in 1957; 1959; 1986; 1998; 2006; 2008 and 2010 rallied round to resist the Bullets of the Zimbabweans as Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush got a telepathic pass from defender Mohammed Hamdy to equalize in the 64th minute.  

The stubborn Zimbabweans came resisting the Egyptians until veteran Liverpool Striker and Egyptian Captain. Mohammed Salah outplayed them with vast experience to score the winner at 90+1 minute though the Ref added 7 minutes to play the match in the second half.

Egypt had 32-7 shots at goal with 11-3 shots on target; had 80-20% ball possession with 8-3 corner kicks. The match was rough with 13-14 foul calls on Egypt with attending 2-2 yellow cards.

Cover photo is Captain Mohammed Salah of Egypt.

The Bafana Bafana of South Africa on Monday started their second quest to win the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) Football title with a 2-1 win over Angola in a group B match at Marrakesh, Morocco.

South Africa ranked 61 in the world making their 12th appearance at the mundial with a win; a Silver Medal and Two Bronze medals scored first in the 21st minute through Oswin Appollis from Lyle Foster pass but a man called Show equalized for Angola in the 35th minute from an assist given by Fredy.

Foster came back again and silenced the Angolans in the 79th minute when he received a good pass from Tshpeng Moremi whose surname sounds like a female deity in ancient Ile-Ife in Osun State of Nigeria.

South Africa is leading group B table with 3 points scoring 2 goals and conceding one just like Egypt in the 2nd position Zimbabwe is with no point like Angola and both are at the bottom of the group.

Earlier, the second match in group A between the Eagles of Mali and the Chipolopolo of Zambia ended in 1-1 draw at the Stade Mohammed V when Lassine Sinayoko of Auxerre scored in the 61st minute for Mali after 24 year old Striker, El Bilal Toure missed a penalty kick in the 42nd minute. 

Mali ranked 53 in the world succumbed to pressures from Zambia ranked 91 in the world when Patson Daka’s header from a floater given by defender Matthews Banda from the right flank sailed into the net in in added time of 90+2 minutes for the coveted equalizer.

You will recall that hosts, Morocco struggled to survive a scare from less fancied Comoros that frustrated them in the first half to eventually win 2-0 giving Morocco leadership of Group A with 3 points in 2 goals scored; Zambia is 2nd with just a point and a goal for with one goal conceded just like Mali while Comoros is at the bottom with no point and no goal scored.

On Tuesday, DR Congo will play Benin Republic ay 1330 hours; Former Champions Senegal will try to roar against giant killers Botswana at 1600 hours; Nigeria will try to redeem the pains of poor outing at the world cup and try to dim the Taifa Stars of Tanzania at 1830 hours while at 2100 hours it will be Carthage Eagles of Tunisia versus Uganda Cranes.