Mame Biram Diouf of Stoke City bagged the equaliser for Senegal after Ghana had taken a first half lead through a penalty won by Everton’s Christian Atsu.
Diouf, lively throughout, was the quickest to react when his own header came back off the post in the 57th minute, nodding the rebound home from close range.
In truth, the pacey striker could have had more than just one goal. In the first half Diouf saw a spectacular bicycle kick saved by Ghana keeper Razak Brimah, denying him what would have been an early contender for goal of the season. Then, just minutes after his equaliser, he spurned a simple chance, swinging wildly at a cross with his left foot, but sending high over the bar from close range.
In the tournament’s ‘Group of Death’ neither side could afford a defeat in the first game, and both seemed set up to avoid conceding, rather than chase the win, in the opening stages. Senegal in particular were keen to sit back and use the pace of Stoke’s Diouf on the break.
A stoppage-time winner from Moussa Sow saw Senegal complete an impressive comeback against Ghana, the striker netting with the last kick of the game to secure a 2-1 win.
Sow, preferred off the bench to Newcastle’s Papiss Cisse, was in the right place at the right time to grab a back-post winner with seconds left on the clock.
Before the dramatic ending it had been Premier League stars who had taken centre stage as two of Africa’s most star-studded sides played out an entertaining game in Mongomo.
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