Egypt secures first World Cup win with 3-1 comeback over New Zealand

Historic breakthrough

Egypt secured their first World Cup victory in seven attempts, coming from behind to beat New Zealand 3-1 at BC Place in Vancouver. The Pharaohs had recorded five defeats and two draws across their three previous tournament appearances in 1934, 1990 and 2018. The win, coupled with a 1-1 draw against Belgium in their opener, puts them top of Group G with four points.

“What happened today is history for us as Egyptians. We see a lot of teams win games, but for us as Egyptian, it doesn't happen often, first time in history.”

Salah takes control

After a quiet first half, Mohamed Salah orchestrated the comeback. The 34-year-old, deployed in a central role behind striker Omar Marmoush, exchanged passes with Mostafa Zico before curling home a left-footed finish in the 67th minute to put Egypt ahead. He later delivered the corner for Mahmoud Trezeguet's 82nd-minute header that sealed the result. Salah now has three World Cup goals, the most by an Egyptian, and his 68 international strikes leave him one shy of coach Hossam Hassan's national record.

“Salah worked hard on the pitch and this is something you should know. I am maybe the first coach to let him play in a position that matches his danger, that matches his capabilities and qualities.”

New Zealand's early promise

The All Whites stunned the heavily Egyptian crowd when defender Finn Surman headed in a Tim Payne corner in the 15th minute. New Zealand held the lead until halftime, but Egypt's pressure told after the break. Surman, whose parents were in the stands, described the goal as "something they remember and something that they're proud of." Captain Chris Wood urged belief ahead of a must-win clash with Belgium.

“We've done extremely well on the world stage already, but we've got to believe we can go take it with one of the best teams in the world.”

Halftime spark

Coach Hossam Hassan revealed he told his players they would not return to the pitch unless they were determined to win. The message ignited a second-half surge that saw Egypt score three times. Mostafa Zico, a late call-up who had been preparing for a holiday on Egypt's north coast, headed the equaliser and set up Salah's goal with a clever back-heel.

“From the first minute until now, Hossam Hassan has given us confidence. Thank God I haven't let him down for a single second.”

Match timeline and next steps

Egypt's plans to travel directly to Seattle for their final group game against Iran were denied by security officials, forcing the team to return to their training base in Spokane, about 280 miles east. The Pharaohs face Iran on Friday knowing a win would secure top spot and a favourable knockout draw. New Zealand, bottom with one point, need to beat Belgium and hope Egypt defeat Iran to have any chance of progressing.