Ghana conceded twice in stoppage time to draw 2-2 with Mozambique as a place in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations slipped through their fingers.

Jordan Ayew scored a pair of penalties which looked to be sending Ghana through, but a thrilling finale saw Geny Catamo pull one back from the spot before Reinildo Mandava equalised at the death.

The two dropped points meant Egypt pipped Ghana to second place in Group B, despite also conceding a last-gasp leveller in a 2-2 draw with Cape Verde, and Chris Hughton’s side are highly unlikely to qualify as one of best third-placed teams.

Antoine Semenyo went close for Ghana just seconds into the game, unleashing a powerful strike from the edge of the box, but goalkeeper Ivane Carminio managed to tip the ball over the bar.

Ghana were awarded a penalty when Joseph Paintsil twisted his way into the box and was fouled by Nanani and Jordan Ayew coolly rolled the resulting spot-kick into the bottom right corner to open the scoring after 15 minutes.

The Black Stars were dealt a blow when Majeed Ashimeru was taken off on a stretcher and Mozambique continued to threaten straight after the break as Richard Ofori punched a dangerous cross away before Lau King headed wide.

They had a flurry of opportunities as Bruno Langa forced Ofori into a save and another chance went begging when the Ghana keeper palmed a corner into the path of Nene, who headed well wide of a post.

Following a rare foray into the opposition area Ghana earned another penalty after Mandava handled the ball and Jordan Ayew stepped up again to double his side’s lead in the 70th minute.

Mozambique pulled one back a minute into stoppage time when they were given a penalty after an Andre Ayew handball and Catamo fired his effort into the bottom corner.

Their dramatic comeback was complete four minutes into added time when Mandava nodded the ball home from a corner to all but end Ghana’s hopes of making the next round.

Chris Hughton acknowledged the “magnitude” of Ghana’s crunch clash with Mozambique ahead of their final Group B game at the Africa Cup of Nations.

Both sides go into the game with one point from their opening two games and know that even a win might not be enough to send them into the last 16, with Egypt, a point better off, taking on already-qualified Cape Verde in the other game in the pool.

“We are aware of the magnitude of this game. We know that this is a game that we have to win,” former Premier League manager Hughton told a press conference, according to Ghanaian newspaper the Daily Graphic.

“Our preparation going into the game has been the same as the two previous games. All we can do is prepare the team to play a very tough match, as all of these games are, and make sure that we put in a level of performance that allows us to win the game.”

Mohammed Kudus passed a late fitness test to score a brace in Ghana’s 2-2 draw with Egypt last time out.

The West Ham forward remains optimistic Ghana can advance to the next round.

“It is very possible. Until we finish the last game in the group, it’s the same focus,” he said on the Ghana Football Association website.

“You could see the fighting spirit and the energy from the guys (against Egypt). We have to do more than that in the last game because we have to get the three points at all cost and we will see what happens after.”

Midfielder Majeed Ashimeru was replaced in the second half of that game with a knock, but the Ghana FA said he had made “significant progress” in his recovery, meaning he could feature on Monday.

Mozambique manager Chiquinho Conde said his side would “approach the game as if it were a final”.

He added: “Ghana’s strengths are in their individual abilities, but my team has assessed them and will identify the weak link in the team so that we can get the desired result.”

Alan Pardew was announced as Newcastle manager on a five-and-a-half-year contract on this day in 2010.

The former Reading, West Ham, Charlton and Southampton boss was unveiled as successor to the sacked Chris Hughton, who had overseen the Magpies’ promotion in 2009-10, as furious fans made their feelings heard about his appointment.

At a press conference that day Pardew – not accompanied by Newcastle owner Mike Ashley or managing director Derek Llambias – said: “I know they (the fans) are frustrated, that’s fairly obvious by the reaction.

“I’m not going to say I have kept away from it, I have tried to keep up to date with the frustration.

“They probably thought they had some stability with Chris and that’s gone, and the record of managers who have come and gone here, it doesn’t bode well.

“I am trying to say that I will work as hard as I possibly can here to get a situation where I can bring some longevity to the job.”

Pardew took over with the team in the thick of a relegation battle having collected 19 points from their first 16 games of the season.

But he expressed confidence that the side he inherited from Hughton would be good enough to preserve the club’s Premier League status.

He added: “I do think there is enough and we have got to make sure the impact of this mid-season situation with the manager changing isn’t an adverse impact.

“I am very much aware that the only faith I am going to gain is by keeping this club in the Premier League where it belongs.”

Pardew guided Newcastle to a 12th-placed finish that season and fifth the following term. He would stay in the job until January 2015, when he left to take charge of Crystal Palace.

Thomas Partey is a fitness concern ahead of Arsenal's return to Premier League action next weekend after sitting out Ghana's match with Angola.

The 29-year-old played a full part in Tuesday's 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over the same opponents, but was not called upon for Monday's 1-1 draw in Talatona.

Ghana head coach Chris Hughton later explained Partey, who missed two Arsenal games in February with a back injury, was not risked due to a minor problem.

"Thomas has some small issues," Hughton said at his post-match press conference. "We felt it was too big of a risk to start him."

Partey, who was accompanied on Ghana duty by Arsenal physio Simon Murphy, has played in 30 of the Gunners' 39 games this season.

Premier League leaders Arsenal are back in action on Saturday with a home match against Leeds United, before travelling to Liverpool eight days later.