World Cup: Egypt end 92-year wait for first win as Salah buries New Zealand
For generations, Egypt dreamed of such a night. Ninety-two years after their World Cup debut in 1934, the Pharaohs finally secured their first win of the tournament, coming from behind to beat New Zealand 3-1 in Vancouver to move top of Group G. Mohamed Salah provided the decisive touch on a night that will go down as one of the most significant in Egyptian football history.
The Pharaohs, who were winless in their previous World Cup games, overcame a first-half deficit with goals from Mostafa Zico, Salah and substitute Mahmoud Trezeguet. The result not only boosted Egypt’s hopes of reaching the knockout stages but also ended a wait that spanned generations of players and supporters.
New Zealand vs Egypt FIFA World Cup 2026: HIGHLIGHTS
After a relatively quiet first half that saw them stretch at the break, Egypt turned up the intensity in the second period as Salah showed he is capable of making the difference at key moments.
“It’s a great achievement for all the players. It’s a great win. It’s a great atmosphere. The next game is very important,” Salah said as he collected praise from his teammates.
Football occupies a unique place in Egyptian life, and World Cup success has long remained an elusive milestone. Through decades of disappointments, near misses and broken promises, the dream endured. At BC Place, Egypt finally turned that dream into reality, producing an impressive second-half display after trailing early in the contest.
The result was by more than three points. It brought together different eras of Egyptian football, from the pioneers who represented the country in the 1934 World Cup to the modern generation led by Salah. From Cairo to Alexandria and beyond, fans have waited decades to witness a moment like this.
The win saw Egypt top Group G with four points from two games after an opening 1-1 draw with Belgium. They face Iran in their final group stage match after Iran and Belgium played out a goalless draw earlier in the day.
New Zealand arrived in Vancouver on the back of a 2-2 draw with Iran, while Egypt were buoyed by a spirited performance against Belgium. With the group finely balanced, both teams knew that a win would provide a significant advantage heading into the final round of matches.
New Zealand’s first-half game plan was as simple as it was effective, kicking long when needed and keeping possession when possible, and defender Finn Surman broke the deadlock from a corner, lost marker Ahmed Fatouh before curling a powerful header into the net.
Although Callum McCowatt had an early glancing header over the bar for New Zealand, Egypt increased the pressure after the break and equalized through Mostafa Zico, who headed home Mohamed Hany’s cross from the right in the 58th minute.
Salah then gave the crowd what they wanted nine minutes later, breaking down the right and playing a 1-2 with Zico before slotting the ball into the far corner.
Salah almost scored his second in the 81st minute, cutting in from the right and curling a spot-kick over, but he got an assist from a corner when substitute Mahmoud Trezeguet headed in at the near post.
A DEARING ROAR GREETS THE VICTORY OF EGYPT
The New Zealanders gave everything they could to reduce the deficit and Hossam Abdelmaguid had to be substituted late on with a suspected concussion and his eyes swollen as he left the field.
In the 10th minute of the set time, the Egyptian fans were already loudly whistling for the referee to end the match.
When he did, there was an ear-splitting roar as Salah and co made history with the country’s first World Cup victory and coach Hossam Hassan showered the stadium with the Egyptian flag.
“My feelings are the same as the feelings of the Egyptian people because I am one of them. I am one of them and I love them – those who came here and those who stayed in Egypt and watched,” Hassan said.
“The stadium felt like we were in Egypt. The fans made us feel like we were playing in Egypt and I told the players: We are playing in Egypt.” The stadium was full, like the stadium in Cairo.”
New Zealand, after being pinned twice by Iran in their 2-2 draw, let the lead slip away again and this time it proved costly as Salah inspired Egypt’s comeback.
“I think we handled them well enough, but they’ve got quite a few good people in the side,” New Zealand captain Chris Wood told reporters.
“You can’t focus on just one player and he (Salah) can pop up with a goal at any time and he showed that.
“He’s a good player, you have to look out for him, but there are a lot of other guys in that team who cause problems and end up scoring goals.”
New Zealand will finish the group stage against Belgium in Vancouver, while Egypt face Iran in their final game with everything to play for in the race to reach the round of 32.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
22 Jun 2026 08:45 IST