Egypt were denied their first-ever World Cup win after Romelu Lukaku scored an own goal to equalize after drawing 1-1 with Belgium in their Group G opener.
In the searing Seattle heat, Emam Ashour’s superb 19th-minute opener gave Egypt their first lead of the World Cup.
But the seven-time African Cup of Nations winners were unable to end their 92-year wait for their first win in the tournament as Belgium’s all-time top scorer Lukaku made an immediate impact from the bench.
The Napoli striker turned Thomas Meunier’s cross into Mohamed Hani’s own goal in the 66th minute just 22 seconds into the attack.
Egypt’s Emam Ashur (left) celebrates scoring a great opening goal.
Afterwards, Belgium almost completed a comeback, but Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Chauvier brilliantly blocked Brandon Mechele’s header, and Lukaku blocked the last chance with a header.
An exciting end-to-end contest at the Seattle Stadium pitted veterans Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah against each other, with both having some great moments.
On his 34th birthday, Salah gifted Ashour with a stunning opener, making him the first African player (since 1966) to score a World Cup goal on his birthday.
But De Bruyne did his best to spoil the former Liverpool star’s big day and galvanized the Red Devils by scoring Belgium’s first shot on target after hitting the post with a free-kick in the second half.
But the 34-year-old needed help from Naples team-mate Lukaku to secure a point from the bench as Belgium face Iran and Egypt face New Zealand.
Seattle’s Big Moments…
Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne (left) came close to scoring for Seattle.
20: target! Ashour scored a superb opener for his first Egypt goal.
33: get! Courtois didn’t stop Egypt for a second as he brilliantly blocked Zico’s low shot across goal.
45+1: miss! When Belgium failed to score a shot in the first half, Doku fired a close-range volley.
53: Out of post! De Bruyne took a free kick that went wide of the goal.
55: It should be 2-0! Courtois pushed Salah’s header straight at Ashir but he whipped it wide.
63: Big opportunity! De Bruyne had Belgium’s first shot on goal, but he fired straight at the goalkeeper.
66: Your own goal equalizer! Lukaku’s immediate impact set up Mohamed Hani’s own goal after just 22 seconds.
82: Best save! Mekele’s header was completely denied by Egyptian goalkeeper Shobeir.
Analysis: No. 10 Salah – Slot and Liverpool missing a trick?
Peter Smith on Sky Sports:
Are you a year older and have another string to your bow? Mo Salah took on an unfamiliar number 10 role for Egypt against Belgium and it’s a move that makes sense.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan maintained Salah’s attacking threat by bringing him inside. He could have had Emam Ashur score a goal and brought on Mostafa Zico to provide energy down the right flank.
Mohamed Salah played primarily on the right wing for Liverpool before moving on to play as a number 10 for Egypt and Belgium.
Under Arne’s slot at Liverpool last season, Salah looked to have been placed on the periphery, too wide to pose a serious threat to the opposition goal. And that was reflected in his numbers. Defensively, Liverpool’s right-back also had difficulties.
Now 34 years old, the King of Egypt may not retain the same prowess at high-intensity running, but he can still use his skill and experience to make an impact both inside and outside the box. This is evidenced by his first place in team statistics for chances created, passing accuracy and fouls won.
With talented team-mates around him (including Ashour, Zico and top-tier Omar Marmoush), Salah could still return to full fitness after a hamstring problem and play a central role for Egypt in North America. Their wait for their first World Cup win will certainly be fulfilled in the next two games on this evidence.
Belgium coach Garcia: It was a really good game
Belgian coach Rudi Garcia:
“The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against the best teams in Africa like Egypt.
“We were able to equalize thanks to one player coming off the bench, which shows how important the whole squad is.
“We had a chance to win but their goalkeeper made a great save. It was a great game between two very good teams.”
