Egypt finally has a World Cup win to its name. It took 92 years, four tournaments and a second‑half surge in Vancouver, but Mohamed Salah dragged his country over the line with a goal, an assist and a performance that shifted the entire tone of its campaign.

New Zealand struck first. Egypt finished stronger. By the end, the Pharaohs were deserved 3-1 winners, their first-ever victory on this stage.

Egypt suffered an early setback

Finn Surman’s opener came from the type of moment that drives coaches wild. A corner, a lapse in concentration, and the New Zealand defender rose unmarked to head in after 15 minutes.

Egypt had been flat to that point, lacking tempo and incision, and the goal only deepened the sense that this might be another long World Cup night.

Salah’s only real involvement before the break was a free kick bent wide from the edge of the box.

Egypt’s attacks were predictable; their movement static. New Zealand, sharper and more confident, forced Mostafa Shobeir into two smart saves to keep the deficit at one.

Egypt wakes up after the break

Whatever Hossam Hassan said at half-time worked. Egypt returned with purpose, pushing New Zealand deeper and finally stretching the game. The full-backs advanced, the midfield snapped into challenges, and Salah began to find pockets of space.

The equaliser arrived just before the hour. Mohamed Hany delivered a precise cross from the right and Mostafa Ziko, completely free, guided a header into the far corner. It was a carbon copy of Surman’s opener—this time in Egypt’s favour.

The shift in momentum was instant. New Zealand, so composed in the first half, suddenly looked vulnerable. Egypt sensed it.

Mo Salah takes control…then celebrates

Ten minutes later, the moment everyone inside BC Place had been waiting for. A quick break, a neat exchange between Ziko and Salah, and the captain swept the ball home with the kind of finish he produced countless times in England. Calm, clinical, trademark.

It was a historic strike too, with Salah becoming Egypt’s oldest World Cup goal scorer, and the oldest African player to both score and assist in a World Cup match. More importantly, it put Egypt ahead for the first time in the tournament.

From there, he dictated everything. Every attack ran through him. Every New Zealand defender seemed drawn to him. Then Egypt won a corner with eight minutes left, it was Salah who delivered the ball that sealed the result.

Trezeguet adds the gloss

The substitute, Trezeguet, attacked the corner with conviction, diving to head past Max Crocombe and make it 3-1. It was the final act of a second half Egypt controlled from start to finish.

There was still time for Zizo to round the goalkeeper in stoppage time, only to hesitate and see his shot blocked, but the miss mattered little. Egypt had already done enough.

Egypt moves within touching distance of the knockout stages, a position it has never been in before. There were previous World Cup appearances in 1934, 1990 and 2018, yet no wins. This one already feels different.

New Zealand, impressive early on, now faces a must-win match against Belgium. Coach, Darren Bazeley, admitted the second half got away from them as the tempo was too high and the pressure too sustained.

Salah’s World Cup statement

This tournament has been billed as the World Cup of the superstar, and Salah is playing his part. He has now scored or assisted in every World Cup match he has played: two in 2018 and two already in 2026.

At 34, he is still Egypt’s king and match-winner;  the player who changes games at will. Vancouver saw it live, when he rises, the Egyptian team rises with him.

Featured Image via Fran Santiago/ Getty Images/ AFP

By Faz Ali

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