Cape Verde and Egypt secured their places in the Round of 16 of the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations Cote d’Ivoire on Monday evening after playing out to a drama-filled 2-2 draw at the Stade Felix-Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.
A dramatic equalizer by Bryan Teixeira in the dying minutes of stoppage time levelled what looked to be a hard-fought victory for the Pharaohs.
After initially taking the lead in the 45th minute, the Blue Sharks were in the driving seat of what could have been an historic full haul of points in Group B.
However, the score was levelled five minutes into the second half after Mahmoud Trezeguet showed composure in the box to execute a tidy finish.
With the match set to end with a goal apiece, the in-form Mostafa Mohamed artistically chested down a difficult ball to lob it over the oncoming keeper with a goal that sent the Egyptian supporters into a frenzy.
As the former champions prepared to wrap up the victory, Bryan Teixeira spoilt the celebrations after capitalizing on a defensive error to fire the ball into the back of the net and salvage a point for the Blue Sharks who finish top of Group B, followed by the Egyptians as they both seal a place in the next round.
Post-match reactions:
Bubista – Cape Verde Coach
“We are no longer going to move in disguise. The objective is clear. We are aiming for the last four of this competition. We are showing the world that we will have to count Cape Verde in this AFCON as one of the best performing teams. No matter who our opponent is, we are not afraid of anyone, and we will do everything to achieve this goal”.
Rui Vitoria – Egypt Coach
“We just saw a great game tonight. From the actions on both sides, the spectators got their money's worth. We have qualified and that is a good thing. Now we will have to concentrate on erasing our shortcomings and work hard in preparation for the next round”.
