Egypt reached the round of 32 thanks to a dramatic 1-1 stalemate with IR Iran
The Pharaohs have qualified for the knockout stage for the first time
Saber, Shoubir and Zizo shared their reaction with FIFA
The images of Egypt’s players at the final whistle are still fresh in the mind. Hugs, prayers, gratitude and emotions were all on display in Seattle. The celebrations were fully justified, as had secured qualification for the knockout stage of the for the first time in their history.
The milestone was achieved through determination, driven by a united group and their coach, who has been widely praised by the Egyptian public. The closing stages against reflected Egypt’s entire group-stage campaign: suffering and sacrifice, fighting for every ball and protecting the result that they had earned on the pitch. Even in the opening fixture against Belgium, it was clear Egypt would do everything to make history, and so it proved. They even came close to topping the group ahead of Rudi Garcia’s side. The 5-1 win for the Red Devils against New Zealand saw Hossam Hassan’s charges drop to second place, although it mattered little to Mohamed Salah and his team-mates, who had made progression to the next round their primary objective from the outset.
Head coach Hassan, reflecting on a historic night in Seattle, said “We’re proud to have gone unbeaten in the group stage, even though it was tough, as I’ve said since the beginning. It’s an honour to progress to the next round. I’d like to thank my players because they’ve brought immense joy to our fans. “We’re ready to face anyone,” added the coach. “We’re capable of playing our brand of football and adapting while respecting every opponent. We won’t fear anyone. The World Cup is a unique competition and, of course, we’ll have to take on strong sides. We’re prepared for every scenario. Anything is possible in football.”
One of the heroes behind the achievement, who brilliantly saved a first-half penalty from Mehdi Taremi spoke to FIFA. “This is a dream for us,” he explained. “We’re so grateful to have qualified. It was such a tough game, but we knew how difficult this group would be. All our matches have been tricky so far. What matters is that we’ve got through, which is what we wanted. We know we’ve made history, so we’re very proud. It’s an incredible feeling which is hard to put into words.”
The goal to break the deadlock was tucked home by Mahmoud Saber, who cut an emotional yet focused figure after the game in Seattle as he turned his attention to the upcoming showdown with Australia. “I feel so proud to be here at the World Cup on the biggest stage in football,” he explained.
“We’ve picked up a significant result tonight and are thrilled to be through to the knockout stage, knowing we’ve made every Egypt fan happy. It’s a real privilege to have scored at the World Cup. Now we’ll study Australia closely and try to be ready to face them.”
Mohamed Salah was withdrawn on 57 minutes, with the incoming Zizo given the unenviable task of filling the iconic number 10’s boots. The 30-year-old told FIFA how proud he felt of his team. “We’re all so happy and the whole of Egypt is celebrating with us. We deserve to get through. Every match has been tough. Australia are like any other team, similar to Belgium or Iran, so they’ll be tough opponents. We’ll prepare as well as we can to deliver a strong performance.”
Sources: FIFA Official
