For just over half of Egypt’s opening match against Belgium, it looked as though the Pharaohs had done enough for a famous first World Cup win. And then Rudi Garcia went to his bench and brought on the player Belgium have long relied on in thorny situations.
Romelu Lukaku had been on the pitch for only moments when his presence forced the equaliser. “Frankly, when you are the opponent and you see Romelu Lukaku entering the field, your confidence goes down and your anxiety increases,” Garcia said after the 1-1 draw at Seattle Stadium.
“Romelu Lukaku’s introduction forces an own goal, denying Egypt a historic first World Cup win as Belgium draw 1-1.”
A crowd of 66,775 watched under the intense sun of the early North American summer, with on-field temperatures of 30C (86F) and high, hazy clouds at kick-off. There was scarcely an empty seat to be found, forming a sea of red and white owing to the teams’ similar colours.
Both sides tested the tolerance of the referee, Ramon Abatti, for contact and exchanged a pair of early yellow cards. As the match entered the 19th minute, Egypt found a breakthrough. A quick restart caught Belgium backpedalling into position as Egypt approached the final third. Some nifty right-sided buildup found Mohamed Salah, where he turned to his left and assessed.
Playing on his 34th birthday, Salah fizzed a pass to his left where Emam Ashour collected and cut toward the top of the D. The midfielder fired a shot underneath Thomas Meunier’s dangling leg and beyond a diving Thibaut Courtois, who had overcommitted to his left and was unable to stretch far enough to his right. It was a timely first international goal for the Al-Ahly midfielder on his 30th appearance.
The stands at Seattle Stadium physically rocked during the raucous celebration, a hallmark of the venue when it hosts American and association football alike.
Belgium struggled to maximise their width for large portions of the first half. Egypt were proactive when closing down Jérémy Doku, often doubling up on the winger. But Garcia’s gamble on Lukaku changed the game. While Lukaku himself did not score, his threat drew two defenders on to his first run into the box, which resulted in an equalising own goal from Mohamed Hany to salvage a point from a closely fought contest.
The result denies Egypt a first ever victory at the World Cup as they draw 1-1 with Belgium. Group G, featuring presumptive frontrunners Belgium and Egypt, has hotted up in earnest with this credible draw.