Defender Mahmoud Hamdi scored a last gasp 95th minute equalizer as Egyptian giants Zamalek SC rose from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Angolan side Petro Atletico in their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League Group D opener at the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria on Saturday.
Petro had gone into a 2-0 lead by halftime with goals from Gleison and Vidinho, but the White Knights fought back with Ibrahim ‘Obama’ Youssef halving the deficit just 10 minutes after coming on before Hamdi won a point at the death.
The Angolan side had started better and shocked Zamalek, getting into a 2-0 lead after 36 minutes with two almost similar goals.
Gleison broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute with a simple finish inside the box off Jaredi’s cutback from the left. The winger would then create the second in the 36th minute in similar fashion with Vidinho finishing.
In the second half, Zamalek made changes with Obama and Shikabala coming in for Maged Hany and Mohamed Ounajem. Achraf Bencharki almost scored but was denied by the woodwork when he struck the post with a low shot unmarked inside the box.
But, the combination of the two substitutes bore Zamalek’s first goal, the duo exchanging passes inside the box before Obama struck into the net.
Petro had a chance to restore their two goal cushion almost immediately when Jaredi broke the offside trap and ran one on one with Mohamed Abou Gabal, but Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations star goalkeeper plucked away his attempted chip.
Pedro Pessoa also came close for Petro with a well curling freekick from the edge of the area but it went inches over.
Obama had a chance for a second in the 67th minute but his lone header from the edge of the six yard box went inches wide.
Zamalek kept fighting and they got the goal in the fifth minute of added time when Hamdi’s deflected shot skipped into the net.
