Salah delivers Egypt's first World Cup win, New Zealand swept aside

Salah sparks a second-half avalanche, Egypt win their first World Cup match

Three goals in the second half. Chris Wood put New Zealand ahead in the 18th minute with a header, and for 45 minutes it looked like another familiar disappointment. Then everything changed.

Mohamed Salah scored and assisted, Omar Marmoush found the net, and Egypt stormed to a 3–1 victory in Vancouver. Ninety-two years of waiting, over in one half.

Salah did not hide his emotion after the match. He told his teammates the job is not finished, qualification from Group G is now within reach. One more result and the Pharaohs are in the knockout stages for the first time.

Hossam Hassan praised his own tactical adjustments at the break. Whatever he said worked.

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The mood shifted so violently it pulled people back from leaving. Fans in Cairo had started heading home at dawn, disappointed and drained, then the goals came and everything reversed. As one supporter put it, football is the best sport on the globe.