Belgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in their World Cup opener on Monday, with a late Belgian equaliser spoiling Mohamed Salah’s 34th birthday.
Emam Ashour scored early in the first half in Seattle, and Romelu Lukaku came off the bench after an hour to force Egypt’s Mohamed Hany into an own goal.
Egypt’s seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions’ hunt for their first World Cup victory continues after the draw.
This is their fourth appearance in the global showcase, and with Group G matches against Iran and New Zealand looming, they will be hoping to break their North American jinx.
“We know Belgium are a good team, (they have) good quality players but we can’t say it was the hardest game or the easiest game. Every game for us has got to be three points,” Egypt’s 18-year-old Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim said.
For Belgium, who have gone without a win in their past three World Cup matches dating back to their group-stage loss in 2022, this tournament is likely the last chance for the remnants of their golden generation to improve on their third-place result in Russia eight years ago and ultimately win silverware.
The primary players remaining in Rudi Garcia’s team are veterans Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Lukaku.
“The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa’s top teams,” Garcia said.
“We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is.”
With all eyes on Salah and De Bruyne in the Pacific Northwest, it was the former Manchester City playmaker who provided the game’s first notable moment in the seventh minute, dragging a crisp shot barely wide.
However, it was Ashour who stole the show just before the refreshment break. He received the ball in a similar position to De Bruyne, but his wonderfully placed effort left Courtois with no chance as it whistled into the bottom-right corner.
Egypt took the lead in a World Cup match for the second time in history, following Salah’s goal in a 2-1 loss against Saudi Arabia in 2018.
De Bruyne came within inches of equalising early in the second quarter when he blasted a close-range free kick over the Egyptian wall, only for it to rocket over the outside of the post.
Salah answered at the other end, ghosting into the area but having his downward header saved by Courtois, while Ashour’s follow-up attempt was completely off target.
The game grew stretched as both teams came near on several occasions, including a thunderous left-footed effort by Belgian captain Youri Tielemans.
After 65 minutes, Garcia chose to send on Lukaku.
The substitution paid almost immediately, as Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer used his predatory instincts to sprint in on a Thomas Meunier cross, destabilising Hany, who shot through his own net.
Salah left the field with 15 minutes remaining as Egypt attempted to close shop and eventually settled for a point.
