The result marked Egypt’s first win at the World Cup in their ninth appearance, moving them to the brink of qualification for the last 32 and easing the disappointment of previous campaigns.

New Zealand made a bright start and took the lead in the 15th minute when Finn Surman rose to head home from a set-piece, putting Egypt under early pressure. However, the African side responded strongly after the break and turned the match around with a dominant second-half display.

Mostafa Mohamed restored parity in the 58th minute after being set up by Salah, before the Liverpool forward put Egypt ahead just nine minutes later with a composed finish in the 67th minute. Mahmoud Hassan ‘Trezeguet’ sealed the historic victory in the 82nd minute, converting from a well-delivered corner to complete the 3-1 comeback.

Salah’s influence was decisive throughout, as he continued to carry Egypt’s attacking threat after a slow start to the tournament, which had included a subdued performance in their opening draw against Belgium. Just when it seemed his World Cup struggles might continue, the 34-year-old delivered a match-winning display to lift his nation.

The win also highlighted Egypt’s resilience, as they recovered from conceding early to produce one of their most important results in World Cup history. It leaves them in a strong position in Group G and on course for a possible place in the knockout stage.

Egypt will now turn their attention to their final group match against Iran, where another positive result could confirm progression to the round of 32.

Salah, who now has 68 international goals, described the victory as “a great achievement for all the players” and praised the team’s spirit in overcoming adversity on the world stage.

Mixed fortunes for other African nations

While Egypt celebrated a historic triumph, the other African representatives in action on Sunday experienced contrasting fortunes as the second round of group-stage matches continued.

In Group H, debutants Cabo Verde produced a stunning, resilient display to secure a dramatic 2–2 draw against two-time World Cup winners Uruguay at Miami Stadium. The Blue Sharks made history in the 21st minute when Kevin Pina swept home a sensational 34-yard free-kick, recording the nation’s first-ever FIFA World Cup goal.

Uruguay responded aggressively before the break, turning the game on its head with quick-fire goals from Maximiliano Araújo and Agustín Canobbio to take a 2–1 halftime lead.

However, Cabo Verde refused to back down. In the 61st minute, forward Hélio Varela capitalized on a defensive mix-up in the Uruguayan box to slot home a deserved equalizer. The hard-fought point keeps Cabo Verde firmly alive in the race for the knockout rounds, leaving them tied with Uruguay on two points in Group H.

It was a far more sobering evening for Tunisia, who were officially eliminated from the tournament after suffering a heavy 4–0 defeat against a ruthless Japan side at Estadio Monterrey. The Group F clash, which marked the historic 1,000th match in FIFA World Cup history, was entirely dominated by the Asian giants.

Daichi Kamada opened the scoring for Japan after just four minutes, netting the fastest World Cup goal in his country’s history. Striker Ayase Ueda doubled the advantage on the half-hour mark before winger Junya Ito added a third in the 69th minute.

Ueda capped off his stellar performance with a looping header late in the game to complete the rout. The comprehensive loss leaves the Eagles of Carthage bottom of the group without a point, spelling an early exit from the competition.