There were joyous scenes in Vancouver as Egypt's bench streamed onto the pitch, players congregating in the centre-circle, and manager Hossam Hassan ran across the touchline holding a flag aloft. After 92 years and eight failed attempts, Egypt had finally won a World Cup match – and their greatest player, Mohamed Salah, was at the heart of it.
Salah’s 67th-minute goal – a one-two with Mostafa Ziko before slotting into the far corner – turned the game after a sluggish first half in which New Zealand defender Finn Surman had powered home a header from a corner. The Liverpool icon then delivered the corner from which substitute Trézéguet nodded in to seal a 3-1 victory in Group G.
“Mohamed Salah inspired Egypt to their first-ever World Cup win, coming from behind to beat New Zealand 3-1.”
“It's a great achievement for all the players. It's a great win. It's a great vibe,” Salah said. The 34-year-old had endured World Cup heartbreak in 2018 – a consolation penalty in a 3-1 loss to Russia, a missed sitter against Saudi Arabia – and then failed to qualify for Qatar 2022. His club future remains uncertain after a bitter dispute with former Liverpool manager Arne Slot and an agreement to terminate his contract early this summer. But for one night in Canada, none of that mattered.
Egypt had fallen behind to Surman’s first-half header, but emerged transformed after the break. “At half-time I told the players we were not going back out on to the pitch unless we were determined to win,” Hassan said, fighting back tears in his post-match interview. The coach, who could not resist a dig at those who have “mishandled” Salah, dedicated the victory to “all Egyptians, both men and women”.
Ziko levelled in the 58th minute, heading home Mohamed Hany’s cross, before Salah took centre stage. The Pharaohs now top the group with four points from two matches – after a 1-1 draw with Belgium in their opener – while New Zealand are bottom with one point. A point against Iran in their final group game will send Egypt into the knockout rounds for the first time. Salah, who needs one more goal to equal Hassan’s national record of 69, said simply: “The next game is very important.”