After two games, Ghana is still without a victory in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) after a 2-2 tie with Egypt on Thursday.
The Black Stars were defeated by the Pharaohs due to defensive errors, which cost them a chance to lead Group B.
After making it into the starting lineup despite missing a late fitness test, Mohammed Kudus appeared destined to give Ghana the victory.
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Even though the West Ham player scored twice, his efforts were insufficient as Egypt twice overcame a goal deficit to earn a draw, thanks to goals from Mostafa Mohamed and Omar Marmoush.
Following their defeat to Cape Verde in their initial match, Chris Hughton made three changes to his starting lineup for the match against Egypt.
In the starting lineup, Baba Iddrisu, Joseph Paintsil, and Ransford-Yeboah Konigsdorffer were replaced by Kudus, Inaki Williams, and Abdul Salis Samed.
But Richard Ofori stayed in between the sticks, with Denis Odoi, Gideon Mensah, Mohammed Salisu, and Alexander Djiku forming the back four.
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Majeed Ashimeru once again started as the box-to-box midfielder, while Salis Samed also made a comeback to anchor the defensive midfield position.
Under attack, Kudus was positioned directly behind Antoine Semenyo, the primary striker, while Inaki Williams and Jordan Ayew occupied the sides.
Despite the fact that neither team had many opportunities to score, Ghana got off to a strong start and won the majority of the 50/50 balls.
However, Kudus’ long-range goal late in the first half gave the game life, coming only minutes after Mohamed Salah hobbled out for Egypt.
The West Ham player got a pass from Salis Samed on the outskirts of the box. He moved the ball to his left to open up some space, then unleashed a powerful shot into the net.
Ghana had a slim lead at the half thanks to the goal, but Egypt equalised right after the interval when Marmoush capitalised on a clumsy back pass from Williams.
But two minutes later, Kudus scored his second goal of the game with a curling attempt that deflected just enough to find the back of the net, giving the Black Stars the lead once more.
But there was still time for one more goal, as Mohamed gave the Pharaohs the equaliser after Osman Bukari, the substitute, made another error in the back.
After two games, the outcome has left Ghana at the bottom of Group B. In order to move on to the round of 16, they must now defeat Mozambique in their last group match.
