Egypt were denied a first-ever World Cup win after Belgium rescued a 1-1 draw in their Group G opener in Seattle.
Emam Ashour gave the seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions a deserved first-half lead, finishing clinically and putting Egypt in control. The North Africans looked set for a historic win in their fourth World Cup appearance — until a late twist.
Romelu Lukaku changed the game moments after coming on in the second half. His presence forced an own goal from Egypt defender Mohamed Hany, restoring parity for Belgium just seconds after Lukaku’s introduction.
Despite a disciplined display, Egypt’s hunt for a first World Cup victory goes on. With Group G matches against Iran and New Zealand still to come, they will hope to end that drought in North America. “We know Belgium are a good team; they have good quality players, but we can’t say it was the hardest game or easiest game. Every game for us has got to be three points,” said Egypt’s 18-year-old Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim.
For Belgium, the draw extends a World Cup winless run to three matches, dating back to their group-stage exit in 2022. This tournament is widely seen as a last chance for the core of their so-called golden generation — Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Lukaku — to win major international silverware after finishing third in 2018. “We know the opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa’s top teams,” said head coach Rudi Garcia. “We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is.”
Belgium face Iran in Los Angeles on Sunday; Egypt meet New Zealand in Vancouver on Monday.
