FIFA WC 2026: Ashour strikes, Hany own goal denies Egypt historic win against Belgium
Seattle, June 16
Egypt were left to rue a missed opportunity for a historic FIFA World Cup victory after settling for a 1-1 draw against Belgium in their Group G opener at FIFA World Cup 2026.
The Pharaohs produced a disciplined and spirited display and looked on course for their first-ever World Cup win after Emam Ashour fired them ahead in the 19th minute. The move began with a moment of brilliance from Mohamed Salah, whose incisive pass unlocked the Belgian defence. Ashour took a composed touch before drilling a low shot beyond goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to register his first international goal.
Egypt carried their advantage deep into the second half and frustrated Belgium's star-studded attack for long periods.
However, Belgium found a way back in the 66th minute. Moments after coming off the bench, Romelu Lukaku's movement inside the penalty area created panic in the Egyptian defence. Thomas Meunier delivered a dangerous cross and defender Mohamed Hany inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, handing Belgium the equaliser.
Despite the disappointment of conceding, Egypt's performance marked a significant step forward on football's biggest stage. The North Africans not only earned a valuable point but also surpassed their previous record of 29 minutes spent leading in World Cup matches.
The result leaves Group G finely balanced, with Egypt taking plenty of confidence from a display that pushed one of Europe's traditional heavyweights all the way.
"The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa's top teams like Egypt. The important thing is that we stayed in the game. We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is. It was a great game between two very good teams," Belgium coach Rudi Garcia was quoted as saying by FIFA.
Egypt forward Hamza Abdelkarim said, "We got one point at the end but we gave it our all. We know Belgium are a good team with good quality players and the atmosphere was great so we need to thank the fans."
Scorers: Egypt - Emam Ashour (19'); Belgium - Mohamed Hany (own goal, 66').
— IANS
Reader Comments
I was so hoping Egypt would hold on for the win. That own goal by Hany is heartbreaking - you can see he meant nothing but to clear the ball. But honestly, Egypt's defensive discipline was commendable. For a country that hasn't won a World Cup match in their history, taking a point off Belgium is massive. Indian football fans know exactly how that feels - we've been waiting for our own breakthrough moment since forever.
Egypt looked so organised. Salah may be past his prime but he still has those moments of magic. Belgium got lucky with the own goal - Lukaku's presence definitely unsettled the defence. But credit to Garcia for bringing him on; that's tactical awareness. As someone who follows football from India, I love seeing underdog stories like this. Come on Egypt!
Yaar, so close yet so far! That own goal was a proper choker moment. But I feel proud as an Asian/African fan seeing Egypt compete like this. Belgium's golden generation is fading but they still have quality. The real positive is Egypt's record of leading 29 minutes in WC history before this match - now they've doubled that! Baby steps, but important ones. Need a win in the next game now.
I've been following Egypt since the 2018 World Cup and this is their best performance yet. The way they neutralised De Bruyne for most of the game was impressive. Ashour's goal was pure composure - a 22-year-old scoring against Courtois! The own goal is unfortunate but that's football. Egypt fans must be proud. Meanwhile, we're still waiting to see India at a World Cup... 🥲 Maybe one day!
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