- Egypt achieved their first World Cup win after nine attempts against New Zealand.
- Mohamed Salah delivered a match winning performance to end years of personal misery.
- The Egyptian side is now close to qualifying for the last 32.
The Egyptian squad has finally bagged a victory in the World Cup. It took nine tries, but they managed a 3-1 result over New Zealand. Egypt ended a 92 year wait for a World Cup win after a shaky start where the Kiwis actually scored first.
Mohamed Salah was the main man in the second half. He netted in the 67th minute and then set up Trezeguet from a corner. His form was patchy before this, especially during a dull draw against Belgium and a quiet first half.
Mohamed Salah leads Egypt to historic victory
This 34-year-old star is now joining the likes of Mbappe and Haaland in making an impact. Salah had a forgettable campaign in 2018 and then missed the Qatar tournament entirely. He has now found his feet on the biggest pitch of all.
There was some drama before the match as manager Hossam Hassan had to deny any beef with the player. This followed a substitution during the Belgium game. It looked like it was the last-chance saloon before Salah took charge of the game.
The player’s club status is a bit of a mess. He is leaving Liverpool after a row with Arne Slot. He focused on his national team though, wanting to fix the bad memories from 2018 when he struggled with injuries.
Back then, he only scored a consolation penalty against Russia and missed a sitter against Saudi Arabia. Salah accused Egypt’s FA of disrupting preparations which almost led to him quitting the international scene altogether in a huff.
High pressure surrounds the Egyptian national icon
The player is a god-like figure in Egypt, far more than at Anfield. His 68th goal for the country puts him one behind Hassan’s record. Government officials get involved when Salah is injured because of his massive importance to the state.
Dr Mohamed Aboud mentioned that the Minister of Health called him when the player hurt his shoulder in 2018. It was a proper panic. Despite the Premier League medals he has not won a trophy for Egypt yet.
Previous generations won three Africa Cup of Nations titles but Salah has lost two finals. Ange Postecoglou said « If there was any doubt about Mo’s impact on this team you can still see it. » He believes it gives the squad enormous belief.
Jobi McAnuff also noted that Salah stood up for his country when it mattered most. A point against Iran will see Egypt through to the next round, though they might qualify without even needing that result.
