Mohamed Salah Reacts After Leading Egypt to First FIFA World Cup Win in 92 Years
- Mohamed Salah has expressed his emotions after Egypt’s first-ever FIFA World Cup win in 92 years
- The Pharaohs defeated New Zealand 3-1 to claim their first win and moved up to the top of Group G
- Egypt were the first African nation to play in the World Cup in 1934 and are yet to reach the knockout stage
Mohamed Salah has shared his thoughts after leading Egypt to their first FIFA World Cup three points with a 3-1 victory over New Zealand.
Finn Surman opened the scoring for New Zealand in the first half. Three second-half goals from Mostafa Ziko, Salah and Mahmoud Trezeguet secured the win for Egypt.
Source: Getty Images
As noted by CAF, it was the first win for Egypt at the World Cup, despite being the first African nation to play in the competition 92 years ago.
Salah speaks after historic win
Salah was named the official man of the match after a goal and an assist on the historic day for his country, and he could not contain his emotions after the match.
“Well, it's incredible, I don't know how to express it with words. It's a great achievement for all the players and the staff. Hopefully, we can carry on like this in the group, and we can write the history and qualify first,” he told FIFA.
“What happened today is history for us as Egyptians. We see a lot of teams win games, but for us as Egyptians, it doesn’t happen often, first time in history.
“In the years to come, you will remember that as well, the best achievement in history, so we just have to enjoy today, enjoy tomorrow, then focus on the game after.”
Source: Getty Images
Egypt lead Group G with four points after Iran and Belgium settled for a draw, and could win the group with as little as a point against Iran in the final game. Salah stresses the importance of this as they will make further history.
“Yeah, with four points now, we are top of the group, but again, the next game is very important. So we have to enjoy today, enjoy tomorrow, and focus on the game after,” he added.
The former Liverpool star has gotten a lot of stick for failing to win an AFCON title with the record winners, and he disclosed what he told his teammates: even if they don't win AFCON, they can make their own history in the World Cup.
“I told them earlier that we can write the history today, and also the next game if we qualify from the group. I think we will remember for years to come,” he said.
“So we just give our best and achieve something else, very difficult to happen. Hopefully we win the next game and be the first to reach the knockout stage.”
CAF sent a message to Egypt
Legit.ng previously reported that CAF sent a message to Egypt ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The tournament could be Mohamed Salah’s last, and CAF emphasised the importance of making it notable for him and the Pharaohs.
Source: Legit.ng
