Ramadan Sobhi scored and provided an assist in Egypt’s 3-2 fightback against Ghana at Cairo stadium on Monday to secure their qualification to the U23 Africa Cup of Nations semi-final.
The young Pharaohs came back twice from behind as Mostafa Mohamed and Ramadan Sobhi cancelling out Yaw Yeboah and Samuel Obeng while Ahmed Yasser Rayan grabbed the winner one minute before time.
The 22-year-old Ahly winger made an outstanding performance which made it hard not to chose him the Man of the Match, as he scored the equalizer and created the winning goal.
Captain Sobhi produced some dazzling skills and kept dancing around defenders all over the 90 minutes to inspire his team’s to this crucial victory that fired them to the top of Group A.
Stunning start
Egypt pushed at the beginning of the game but they were stunned by an early goal from Yaw Yeboah who evaded his markers to score from inside the box in the 6th minute.
The young Pharaohs regained composure after promising striker Mostafa Mohamed rose above the defenders to meet Ahmed Aboul-Fotouh’s cross and score the equaliser in the 18th minute.
It was an evenly balanced game and both teams had created some chances in this first half. Sobhi came close from scoring when his screamer was brilliantly deflected into the corner by Ghana’s goalie Kwame Baah while Egypt’s keeper Mohamed Sobhy was also challenged at the 34th minute by a long range shot by Ghana’s left back Fobi.
Egypt found themselves trailing behind once again at the beginning of the second half when Obeng intercepted a short pass from defender Mohamed Abdel-Salam to round the keeper and score in the empty nets.
Ramadan Sobhi’s show
The Pharaohs gained control of the game with Sobhi producing a masterclass to keep the Ghanaian defenders on their toes.
Mostafa Mohamed and Salah Mohsen wasted some clear cut chances to level the score while Karim El-Erkay’s powerful shot from inside the box crashed off the bar.
In the 82nd minute Sobhi smacked in a rebound after Abdel-Rahman Magdi’s shot came into his path.
Sobhi turned from scorer to provider as he crosses a corner to second half substitute Ahmed Yasser Rayan who headed the winner in the 89th minute.
Egypt will face Cameroon, who beat Mali 1-0 earlier in the day, in their last groupstage game on Thursday.
english.ahram.org.eg
