Despite his “Egyptian King” nickname, it was Zimbabwe’s Prince Dube who struck first, giving the Warriors a surprise first-half lead against the run of play in their Group B clash with Egypt in Agadir.
Egypt dominated large spells of the match but were repeatedly frustrated by poor finishing and an inspired performance from Zimbabwe’s veteran goalkeeper, 40-year-old Washington Arubi. His saves kept the southern African side dreaming of a shock victory.
The pressure eventually told in the 64th minute when Manchester City forward Omar Marmoush powered home an equaliser to restore parity for the seven-time African champions.
As the match edged into stoppage time, Egypt’s persistence paid off. Mohamed Salah reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area, calmly poking it home to secure all three points for his side.
Egypt will be hoping to sharpen their finishing when they return to Agadir to face South Africa in their next Group B fixture on Friday. Zimbabwe, meanwhile, will shift focus to their upcoming match against Angola in Marrakesh.
