VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Mohamed Salah netted the decisive goal as Egypt triumphed over New Zealand with a score of 3-1 on Sunday night, marking their first-ever World Cup victory.
Salah celebrated his 68th international goal with a fist pump before being enveloped by his teammates in the 67th minute, much to the delight of the enthusiastic red-clad Pharaohs fans at the sellout crowd in BC Place, Vancouver.
When Salah was substituted in the 85th minute, he received a warm standing ovation from the crowd.
This win propelled Egypt to the top of Group G’s standings, but they still must secure a spot in the knockout stages. The Pharaohs will face Iran on Friday in Seattle, needing at least a draw to advance.
This is Egypt’s fourth World Cup appearance, having missed the tournament in Qatar four years ago. Salah had scored two goals in the 2018 World Cup held in Russia.
Finn Surman initially put New Zealand ahead in the 15th minute with a powerful header from a corner kick taken by Instagram sensation Tim Payne. This marked the third international goal for the 6-foot-3 defender, who plays for the Portland Timbers in MLS.
Omar Marmoush nearly scored in the 35th minute, as he set up Salah with a well-placed free kick, but it narrowly missed the target and hit the side netting.
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Following halftime, Egypt intensified their efforts, and Mostafa Zico found the net, scoring an equalizer in the 58th minute with a strong header that evaded the grasp of goalkeeper Max Crocombe. Zico’s goal came after he split the defenders Surman and Payne, and he celebrated by encouraging the fans to cheer.
Salah connected with a back-heel pass from Zico to score, bringing him only one goal away from tying his coach, Hossam Hassan, as Egypt’s all-time leading scorer. Trézéguet then sealed the victory with a diving header in the 82nd minute.
In a concerning moment for Egypt, Hamdy Fathy was substituted just before halftime due to an apparent injury sustained off the ball, making way for Ramy Rabia.
In their opening match against Belgium, Emam Ashour scored the first goal for Egypt. However, Romelu Lukaku was introduced into the match and created chaos in the box, leading to an own goal that resulted in a 1-1 draw.
New Zealand took the lead twice against Iran in their opening match but allowed it to slip away for a 2-2 draw, with Elijah Just scoring both goals for the All Whites.
Previously, New Zealand qualified for the World Cup in 2010, where they managed to draw all three of their matches. They will return to Vancouver on Friday to take on Belgium.