Egypt win at a World Cup for the first time, 92 years on — a transformed second half, and Salah decided it

0-1 to 3-1 in 45 minutes

For the first half this was New Zealand's game. In the 15th minute Tim Payne swung in a corner and Finn Surman, the Portland Timbers centre-back, rose above the Egyptian defence to head it past goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir. Egypt could not find Salah, and went in a goal down.

The second half was a different match. In the 59th minute Mostafa Ziko, a 29-year-old who had made his Egypt debut barely a month earlier, headed the equaliser. Eight minutes later Salah held the ball up on the right, worked a one-two with Ziko and beat goalkeeper Max Crocombe low at the far post. Trezeguet added a third to make it 3-1 — his 24th goal for Egypt. A team that had been behind at the break had scored three after it.

92 years and 25 days

This was Egypt's first win at a World Cup. They were the first African and Arab side to reach the tournament, back in 1934, and had returned in 1990 and 2018 — without a single victory, and without ever reaching the knockout rounds. The gap from their debut match to this win was 92 years and 25 days.

Salah collected records of his own. At 34 he became the oldest goalscorer for Egypt at a World Cup, and, as far as the records show, the oldest African player to both score and assist in a single World Cup match.

Salah, and a No. 9 who appeared a month ago

In the first half New Zealand kept Salah quiet. FOX Sports' analysis called the opening 45 minutes New Zealand's, with Surman the best player on the pitch. After the break, the same analysis noted, Salah raised his level to a point where he could not be defended — carrying the ball, spreading passes, arriving in the box himself, and finishing.

The other lead was a near-unknown. Ziko has spent his entire club career in Egypt and was called up for the first time only a month ago, scoring on debut in a friendly against Russia. It was his header that levelled the game and his combination that set up Salah's winner. A global star from Liverpool and a 29-year-old who surfaced weeks ago: Egypt's turnaround came from the pair of them.

Group G comes down to the last game

The win put Egypt top of Group G on four points, with a two-goal cushion on goal difference. Their final match is against Iran, on Friday in Seattle; a draw would likely be enough to win the group, and a place in the last 32 is within reach. New Zealand, on one point and the lowest-ranked side at the tournament according to FIFA, need to beat Belgium to keep any hope alive.

For a Japanese reader the twist is the opponent: it is Iran, an Asian heavyweight, who stand between Salah's Egypt and a winner-takes-it decider. Egypt have never reached a World Cup knockout round. Whether they finally do gets settled on Friday in Seattle.