RECAP: Comeback complete as Egypt — finally — wins a World Cup game

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Sunday, June 21: Group Stage
Group G / Match 40: New Zealand versus Egypt
B.C. Place
Kickoff: 6 p.m.

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FULL TIME

It came, finally, after four trips over 72 years: Egypt has finally won a game at the World Cup. 

A three-goal second half, sparked by Mo Salah and Mostafa Zico, overcame an early deficit and sent the Pharoahs atop Group G with a 3-1 victory over New Zealand at B.C. Place in Vancouver on Sunday night. 

“It’s a great feeling for all of us. It’s a great achievement,” Salah said after the game.

“I said before the tournament we wanted to make the people happy in Egypt, and I think right now they are happy and proud of us. The other thing I can promise is to give it our best. We will just need to celebrate today and tomorrow with the win, then focus on our last game.

“I’ve been in the national team for 14 years. I always give my best to the national team, try to give my experience to them, and today was a very special day. It was our first win ever. What happened today is history.”

The All Whites had aspirations of finding their own first World Cup win, and took the lead through a Finn Surman header 16 minutes in. The lowest-ranked team in the tournament frustrated Egypt defensively, and to their credit, kept forging forward instead of sitting in a low block. 

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Egypt was getting progressive movement and touches in the box, but could not find the final key to unlock the defence in the first half. That all changed in the second, when they stormed out of the gates and swarmed the Kiwis in the final third. First Zico scored in the 58th minute, and Salah followed off an assist from his fellow winger nine minutes later. Trézéguet finished off New Zealand with a header in the 82nd minute. 

“It shows the highs and lows of football,” said Surman. “That first half, I thought we played really well. We’re up one-nil, going into the dressing room at halftime, and we’re in a really good place. We’re feeling, we can definitely win this game.

“And that’s what’s disappointing. That second half we let ourselves down and let the game get away from us. They showed their quality in the second half and showed how ruthless they can be. Just disappointing at the end of the day. They just raised the intensity and came out faster. They got on top of us a little bit.

“There’s always going to be periods like that in football, but we need to learn to manage that a little bit better. … I don’t think that we’ve quite done that yet, this tournament.”

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The win puts Egypt atop Group G, holding the lone victory among the four teams, and into the second round regardless of their result against Iran next week. New Zealand has to beat Belgium for any hopes of advancing. Belgium and Iran played to a scoreless tie earlier in the day. 

“I think, when we are the underdog, you probably expect us to be happy with those performances, but we don’t want to come away from this tournament being proud of performances — it’s about, yeah, getting out the group,” said striker Chris Wood. “Belgium is definitely not going to be an easy team at all. They have such class players, but then they’ve kind of struggled to really get going against Iran and Egypt. We’re gonna have to raise that level again and produce a better performance for the full 90 to give ourselves a chance.”

The fans blew the (closed) roof off of B.C. Place at the final whistler, and the Pharoahs took a victory lap to acknowledge the incredibly pro-Egypt crowd. Coach Hossam Hassan and his assistant grabbed an Egyptian flag and ran the perimeter of the field to cheers from the crowd.

82nd minute: Goal! Egypt 3, New Zealand 1

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Make it three. Trézéguet scores a diving header off a corner, picking the bottom near-side while the Kiwis looked on in disbelief.

Salah had moved wide from the central position he started the game at, and was much more comfortable — and impactful — in his normal position. He is subbed off to a roaring ovation from the crowd.

77th minute

We’re back from the hydration break for the fourth quarter, with both sides rolling in a pair of substitutes. Mostafa Zico, who’d been instrumental in Egypt’s second half goals, scoring one and assisting another, is replaced by 18-year-old striker Hamza Abdelkarim.

68th minute: Goal! Egypt 2, New Zealand 1

The Egyptian resurgence continues, this time with Zico setting up Salah with a beautiful give and go at the top of the box, with Salah finishing it off with a low, left-footed shot under Max Crocombe.

59th minute: Goal! Egypt 1, New Zealand 1

The goal you felt coming finally arrives, from the head of Mostafa Zico, who’d been denied by the knee of Finn Surman minutes ago. 

He rises completely unmarked after a cross from Ashour, hammering home the header to tie the game. Max Crocombe gets half a hand to it, but can’t keep it out of the back of the net. 

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Just before the goal, Egypt’s expected goals had peaked at 1.24, and now up to 1.43.

After having 57 per cent of the ball in the first half, Egypt now dominating with 70 per cent in the second.

54th minute

The second half begins, and Egypt are swarming. Mo Salah with a half chance just seconds into the restart, but Max Crocombe stops the soft shot. The Pharoahs are playing with a sense of urgency, but New Zealand aren’t faltering. Marko Stamenic puts an inquisitive cross into the box, where Callum McCowatt got a head on it, the flick on forcing Shoubir into a diving save. 

Halftime — 6:49 p.m.

Egypt has 57 per cent of the ball, but none of the goals, as the Kiwis take their 1-0 lead into the break.

There has been no fear from the Kiwis, who keep questing forward through long balls, and breaking on the counter, eschewing the idea of sitting in a low block to frustrate the Pharoahs.

Egypt isn’t playing desperate ball, but there are flashes of frustration seeping through with the players. They’re winning the duels, 26-18, especially on the ground (17-9) but have just lacked the final pass or finish to unlock the Kiwis.

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45th minute

To answer the earlier question, New Zealand most definitely is not sitting back. They continue pumping long balls to Wood, who’s nearly gotten on the end of a couple of crosses. 

Just and Sarpreet Singh have been excellent for New Zealand in the attacking end, while Egypt has lacked the final moment in their offence. Twelve touches inside the box, just five shots (one on target) have com from it. 

A late-half sub for Egypt, who bring off an injured Hamdy Fathy for Rami Rabia. There are four minutes of injury time coming. 

35th minute

Callum McCowatt completely misjudges a bouncing ball, running under it, allowing Emam Ashour to gain possession at the top of the D. He comes back with a two-footed tackle though Ashour’s back, giving Egypt a free kick 20 yards out. 

Omar Marmoush fakes the kick, steps over it and rolls it back to an onrushing Salah, whose shot whispers just wide of the left post. Marmoush has been quiet tonight, just 10 touches and one shot on target. Egypt will need more from the Man City striker. 

25th minute 

As we hit the end of the first quarter (ducks for cover) New Zealand are playing unhurried and confident. Egypt have looked threatening, and hold a slight edge in possession, but have yet to put a shot on target. Be interesting to see how the Kiwis come out of the hydration break. Will they begin to sit back, or continue with the questing long balls to Chris Wood? Elijah Just has been a bright spark for the All Whites tonight. 

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15th minute: Goal! New Zealand 1, Egypt 0

Michael Boxall gets turned all sorts of ways by Egypt midfielder Mostafa Zico, who dashes into the box and finds Salah, but there’s not enough room to get a shot off and the ball is cleared. 

Play turns the other way, where Marko Stamenic hold off an Egypt defender, slides the ball through to Elijah Just, whose shot is parred from eight yards out. 

On the ensuing corner kick, Finn Surman rises up and smashes home the header to give New Zealand the lead. The 6-foot-3 Portland Timbers centreback is left completely unmarked and makes no mistake, giving Mostafa Shoubir no chance to stop the ball.

7th minute

An unfounded shout for handball at one end — Mo Salah’s shot clearly went off the stomach of centreback Finn Surman, who had his hands behind his back — and play rockets the other way, where New Zealand’s Sarpreet Singh has the first shot of the day, an ambitious turn and volley from 18 yards out that goes just wide right. 

5:56 p.m.

The anthems are done, and B.C. Place is buzzing in anticipation for the start. Or maybe that’s just my heat-stroke stricken head, since the temperature in here feels like we’re in Cairo.

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The teams are on the field, and …

HERE

WE

GO

5:05 p.m.

If you’re sitting in your seats at B.C. Place, nursing your $26 can of premium Michelob Ultra, waiting for the game to begin, here’s some reading material for you.

Either one of these two teams could wind up third in a wide open Group G, meaning they would be back to play the first-place finisher in Canada’s Group B on July 2 in the round of 32.

Patrick Johnston took a look at all the permutations and odds of who could make it into that game >>> Who will Canada play in the World Cup knockout round?

Also, the All Whites are sick of playing entertaining games that don’t result in wins, and look for that historic first World Cup triumph on Sunday >>> New Zealand tires of entertaining, looks for historic win against Egypt.

5:00 p.m.

The starting XIs are in for both teams.

4:30 p.m.

With the Belgium-Iran game ending in a scoreless draw, it sends the winner of tonight’s game into the next round, and the pole position for top spot. New Zealand and Egypt both enter having tied their opener, and looking for their first win in World Cup history.

“This game’s gonna be completely different to the first game,” said All White striker Chris Wood. “Everyone’s looked at the teams — we’ve looked at them against Belgium, they’ve looked at us against Iran — and I’m sure we both need to come up with different game plans of how they want to affect the game. For us, as players, the boys, it’s about bringing the same level of energy, intensity, technical ability on the pitch, and then raising it again, because it was a draw. We want to get the win.”

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The Kiwis will stay in Vancouver until their next game, June 26 against Belgium at B.C.  Place, while Egypt heads back to their home base in Spokane. They take on Iran on June 26 in Seattle.

Egypt, ranked 28th to New Zealand’s 83rd — the lowest seed in the tournament — isn’t coming into the game overconfident .

“We know from the draw already that this group is not going to be a walk in the park,” said Hossam Hassan. “We respect New Zealand, we respect Iran, we respect Belgium, and we very well know what strengths they put on the pitch. I am trying to prepare my players accordingly. It is a tournament. It is the global stage, and it is the ambitions and the aspirations of Africa and Egypt that we try to live up to in order to advance from the stage.

“We take it one match at a time. Now our whole focus is on New Zealand. We would like to perform the best possible way.”

3:50 p.m.

Downtown Vancouver is a sea of red ahead of the game. But there are more Liverpool jerseys than Egypt kits, proving the club team’s motto: “You’ll never walk alone.” All are here to see the Egyptian king, Mo Salah, who just concluded his final season with Liverpool, leaving as a champion and club legend.

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Now he hopes to lift his national team as well, as the Pharoahs have yet to record a World Cup win in their history.

There were “rumours,” which coach Hossam Hassan addressed Saturday, that Salah had had an angry confrontation with him in training this week. Hassan quickly shot those down.

“Mo Salah is an important player for our squad. The 26 players who are here with me are very important … all the young ones who have joined us lately, they’re all very important,” he said. “Every player who has worked with me knows that I’m dealing with them in a professional manner, and how can I say it? I do not have favourites.

“I do not seek to please or unplease someone. I trust the 26 players, and they trust me. And Mohammed Salah is a great player who helps his teammates, and he has a lot of discipline, and he’s a role model. If he starts in the starting lineup, if he gets substituted, it’s fine, it’s his role as a player.

“Everyone knows that Hosam Hassan is working for the benefit of the team, for the benefit of the national football, and everyone is equal in my eyes. And also nothing happened.

“I think rumours are being spread, rumours are being spread about stars, about players, about teams, but Salah is someone who’s very disciplined. He trains with us, he’s the first player that would also say yes to my decision as a technical director. So I think he will be very positive tomorrow.”

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Read more coverage of FIFA in Vancouver:

• FIFA 2026: Here’s a list of 16 free World Cup watch parties in Metro Vancouver
• Got World Cup tickets? Better read this (surprising) list of rules for B.C. Place entry
• Trying to avoid FIFA madness? Here are all the match day traffic closures and detours
• ‘This will be different for locals’: TransLink announces World Cup 2026 transit plans
• These routes were made for walking: Organizers promote pedestrian access to World Cup games

LIVE BLOG

Sunday, June 21: New Zealand versus Egypt

6 p.m.: New Zealand and Egypt kick off in Vancouver

New Zealand and Egypt are set to face each other in a group stage match.

2 p.m.: The Last Mile fan zone opens to public

The Last Mile, a pedestrian-only corridor and fan zone for both ticket holders and non-ticket holders, opens four hours before kick off.

Doors to B.C. Place stadium will open tonight at 3 p.m., three hours before kick off.

Here’s a map of FIFA match day traffic closures

What’s happening on social media

Postmedia will be covering all the World Cup action in Vancouver. Follow along our match day liveblogs for updates from both inside and outside the stadium.

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