FIFA WC: Egypt 1 Belgium 1
Egypt were denied their first World Cup win in history after a second-half own goal saw them salvage a point from a 1-1 draw with Belgium in their opening Group G match in Seattle.
Egypt took the lead in the 21st minute of the match when Al Ahly midfielder Imam Ashour fired a powerful shot from about 20 yards out past Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and into the corner of the net.
But Belgium equalised in the 66th minute, with Thomas Meunier’s low cross being headed into the back of the net by Egypt defender Mohamed Hani, who was under pressure from Belgium substitute Romelu Lukaku. Egypt, which made its World Cup debut in 1934, was looking for its first win in eight World Cup matches.
The team was enthusiastically supported by a large Egyptian fan base on the West Coast of the United States.
But in the end, the seven-time African champions held on to a draw, holding on until the very end. With this, Egypt has managed to avoid defeat in the World Cup for only the third time in its history.
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