For 19 minutes, the script was firmly intact as seven-time AFCON champions Egypt dominated proceedings, with Salah driving the Pharaohs forward.
The Liverpool forward twice curled a teasing cross to the far post, and on the first occasion, Trézéguet’s header had to be tipped onto the bar from Zimbabwe goalkeeper Washington Arubi.
Five minutes later and Salah’s repeat performance found Emam Ashour unmarked, but the midfielder’s volley was wayward.
In a rare venture forward for Zimbabwe, Prince Dube stunned the Egyptians as he excellently controlled Emmanuel Jalai’s ball into the box and tucked the ball beyond Ahmed El Shenawy to give his side the lead.
The Egypt response was furious but fruitless, as Omar Marmoush’s thunderbolt from long range forced Arubi to tip the ball over his bar, while Salah blasted over from the edge of the box on the stroke of half time.
Egypt’s complete dominance of proceedings in the second half eventually led to an equaliser, and when it came, it was very simple. A long ball released Marmoush down the left wing, and the Manchester City forward breezed goalwards and lashed his strike into the roof of the net.
A stubborn Warriors’ defence may have been finally breached, but there was an unexpected staring of resistance left in the underdogs.
Substitute Zizo squandered Egypt’s best chance of the closing stages, as he planted his header a long way over after being found by a delicious Mohamed Hamdy cross.
Wasteful efforts from the normally-reliant Salah and Marmoush seemed to have ended Egypt’s hopes of making a winning start, until the former fired home from 10 yards in stoppage time to deny Zimbabwe a historic point.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Prince Dube (Zimbabwe)