Mohamed Salah celebrates after scoring Egypt's second goal. (AFP)
Doha, Qatar: Mohamed Salah inspired Egypt to a historic first FIFA World Cup victory as the Pharaohs came from behind to defeat New Zealand 3-1 at BC Place Stadium yesterday, moving to the top of Group G and within touching distance of a place in the knockout stage.
The victory marked a landmark moment in Egyptian football history, with the Pharaohs securing their first-ever World Cup win in their fourth tournament appearance and taking a major step toward a maiden qualification for the knockout rounds.
Egypt started disappointingly when New Zealand defender Finn Surman rose highest to meet a corner kick and headed the ball beyond goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier to give the Oceania side an early advantage.
The goal unsettled Egypt, who struggled to break down New Zealand’s disciplined defensive structure despite enjoying long spells of possession.
The Pharaohs pushed forward in search of an equaliser, but New Zealand held firm and almost doubled their advantage before halftime.
Shobier proved crucial in keeping Egypt in the contest, producing two important saves to deny New Zealand and ensure the deficit remained at a single goal heading into the break.
The turning point arrived early in the second half following a tactical adjustment from head coach Hossam Hassan, who switched the positions of Omar Marmoush and Mostafa Zico.
The change immediately gave Egypt greater attacking fluidity and eventually paid off in the 58th minute.
Mohamed Hany delivered a precise cross into the penalty area and Zico powered a header past the New Zealand goalkeeper to bring Egypt level and ignite celebrations among the Egyptian supporters inside BC Place.
The Pharaohs continued to press forward and completed the comeback through their captain.
Salah combined brilliantly with ZiCo inside the penalty area before sending a low shot into the bottom corner to put Egypt ahead and register another historic moment in his international career.
Substitute Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet”, who had replaced Marmoush, connected with a Salah corner kick and guided a diving header into the net to secure Egypt’s third goal and complete a memorable comeback victory.
The result delivered several milestones for Egyptian football.
It was Egypt’s first World Cup victory, their first match with three goals scored at the tournament and their highest points tally in a World Cup group stage, moving them onto four points.
The win also strengthened Egypt’s chances of reaching the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.
For Salah, the night brought further records. The Liverpool star became Egypt’s outright leading World Cup scorer with three goals and moved alongside some of the Arab world’s most prolific World Cup goalscorers, including Saudi Arabia’s Salem Al-Dawsari and Sami Al-Jaber, Morocco’s Youssef En-Nesyri and Tunisia’s Wahbi Khazri.
Salah also scored his 68th international goal for Egypt, leaving him just one goal behind Hossam Hassan’s national record of 69.
Speaking after the match, Salah urged his teammates to maintain their momentum heading into the final group-stage fixture.
“We have a chance to make history and qualify as group leaders, and that’s what we aim for,” he said.
Egypt now lead Group G on four points ahead of Iran on two points, while New Zealand and Belgium have one point each. The final round of group-stage matches promises a dramatic conclusion, with Egypt facing Iran while Belgium take on New Zealand as all four teams remain mathematically in contention for qualification.
