Egypt roared back in the second half to secure a 3-1 victory over New Zealand at BC Place, inspired by a masterclass from Mohamed Salah.
Both nations entered this crucial World Cup clash on the back of opening-round draws. Egypt wanted to assert their dominance in the group, while the All Whites aimed to cause a major upset on the global stage.
The Oceania representatives started brightly and took a surprise lead in the 15th minute. Defender Finn Surman found space inside the penalty area and slotted the ball home to stun the Egyptian defense.
The game turned physical immediately after the opening goal. Egypt midfielder Mohanad Lasheen received a yellow card in the 17th minute as the Pharaohs tried to disrupt the opposition rhythm.
New Zealand picked up bookings of their own to protect their lead. Sarpreet Singh saw yellow in the 20th minute, before Callum McCowatt joined him in the referee's book in the 34th minute.
Despite trailing at the interval, Egypt controlled the ball and looked dangerous. The African giants needed to find their clinical edge in the second half to overturn the shortfall.
The equalizer finally arrived in the 58th minute. Mostafa Ziko found the back of the net with a neat finish after a clever pass from Salah to level the score.
Egypt took the lead in the 67th minute through their talismanic captain. Salah turned from provider to goalscorer, firing past the goalkeeper after an assist from Ziko to make it 2-1.
Trezeguet sealed the three points for Egypt in the 82nd minute. The winger guided the ball home to cap off a highly dominant second-half display by the Pharaohs.
The New Zealand goalkeeper made four crucial saves to keep his side in the match during the late pressure. At the other end, Mostafa Shobeir matched those four saves to deny any late fightback.
Egypt dominated the statistics, racking up 19 shots with seven on target and keeping 56 percent of the ball. They finished with an expected goals rating of 1.96 compared to New Zealand's 1.12.
This crucial victory puts Egypt in a strong position to qualify for the knockout rounds. Meanwhile, New Zealand must win their final group match to keep their World Cup campaign alive.
