One of the best in country's football history: Salah hails Egypt's historic first-ever FIFA WC win
Vancouver, June 22
Egyptian captain Mohamed Salah expressed his "indescribable happiness" after leading his country to a historic first-ever victory in the FIFA World Cup and said the achievement will be remembered as one of the best in the country's football history.
Goals from Mostafa Zico, Mohamed Salah and Trezeguet saw Egypt create history as they came from behind to beat New Zealand 3-1 and claim their first FIFA World Cup victory since making their debut 92 years and 25 days ago.
The talismanic forward spoke of the immense emotional weight of the victory, which marks Egypt's first-ever win in the tournament since their debut 92 years ago.
"It's incredible. I don't know how to express it in words. It's a great achievement for all the players and for the staff. Hopefully we can carry on like this in the group, and we can write history and qualify - and in years to come, it will be remembered as one of the best achievements in the history of Egyptian football," Salah said after the match.
Salah not only scored the winning goal against New Zealand but also became the first Egyptian to score in two editions of the global showpiece. Moreover, he became the oldest player to score for Egypt at 34 years and 6 days, surpassing Magdy Abdelghany, who was 30 years and 320 days old when he netted against the Netherlands in 1990.
Following his award for best player of the match, Salah said that the team played a good game, especially in the second half, which saw the Pharaohs have an advantage over New Zealand, as evidenced by scoring 3 goals and threatening the opponent's goal more than once.
Salah added that he and his teammates pledged to do their utmost to please the Egyptian fans and reach the furthest point in the World Cup. He concluded his remarks, saying: "We are at the top of the group, but the next match is very important. We will celebrate today and then prepare for Iran in the third round starting tomorrow."
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is absolutely heartwarming! 💛 Coming from behind to win 3-1 after 92 years of trying - that's the kind of resilience we Indians admire. I remember how we felt during our 1983 cricket World Cup win. Salah's humility in thanking his team is what makes him a true leader. Well done, Pharaohs!
While this is a great achievement for Egypt, I can't help but feel a bit envious. 😅 We Indians have 1.4 billion people and still can't qualify for the World Cup while smaller nations like Egypt are making history. But credit where it's due - Salah is a phenomenon and this win will inspire millions across Africa and Asia.
The way Egypt came back in the second half shows true character! 💪🏽 92 years is a long wait but they finally did it. Salah's words about "writing history" remind me of our own football legends like Sunil Chhetri who also carried a nation's hopes. Hope Egypt can qualify further - they have the talent and the belief now!
Thrilled for Egypt! 🇪🇬 As a Canadian living in Vancouver, I got to see some of the World Cup buzz here. Salah is one of the greatest players of this generation and this win is historic. But I must say, New Zealand put up a good fight in the first half. Egypt's second-half dominance was clinical though. Onwards and upwards for the Pharaohs!
What a performance from Salah! 🐐 He's 34 but still playing like he's in his prime.
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