Egypt reached the World Cup last 16 after a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Dallas, defeating Australia 4-2 on spot kicks after a 1-1 draw following extra time.
The match looked set to be decided in regular time after Cristian Volpato’s early long-range effort skimmed the crossbar, but it was Egypt who opened the scoring. Emam Ashour rose unmarked to head his side in front just after the quarter-hour mark. Australia threatened at times — Zico was denied by an offside call when clean through — and Omar Marmoush wasted a gilt-edged chance straight from the restart in the second half.
Australia levelled in the 55th minute in unfortunate fashion when Mohamed Hany glanced the ball into his own net. The game remained tense and was almost ended in stoppage time when goalkeeper Patrick Beach produced a stunning fingertip save to push Ramy Rabia’s header over the bar and keep the scores level.
Extra time saw Mohamed Salah come alive, probing and creating chances, but neither side could find a winner. Egypt, who had lost their previous four shoot-outs, faced the nervy prospect of penalties, and Australia made a late tactical change by bringing veteran goalkeeper Mat Ryan on in the 119th minute.
Ryan could not turn the tie, however. Egypt converted their first four penalties, Salah producing a composed Panenka down the middle, and Abd El‑Maguid (listed as Abdelmaguid in some reports) sent Ryan the wrong way to seal the shoot-out. Australia missed twice from the spot — Harry Souttar blasted the first over the bar and Lucas Herrington struck the bar — which ended their campaign.
Key moments
– 5′ Volpato’s long-range shot hits the crossbar.
– 13′ GOAL: Emam Ashour heads Egypt ahead.
– 21′ Zico through but ruled offside.
– 46′ Marmoush wastes a one-on-one after the restart.
– 55′ OWN GOAL: Mohamed Hany levels for Australia.
– 90+4′ SAVE: Patrick Beach tips Ramy Rabia’s header over the bar.
– Penalties: Souttar and Herrington miss for Australia; Salah and three teammates score for Egypt; Abdelmaguid slots the winner.
After the match, Egypt captain Mohamed Salah reflected on the occasion, saying he had urged his teammates to enjoy the biggest stage and not be overwhelmed by the pressure. On his Panenka he added that if anyone was going to try it, it would be him — he wanted to instill confidence in his team and made the decision late in his run-up. Salah also acknowledged the uncertainty about whether this will be his last World Cup and said the squad must respect whoever they face next.
Egypt will now wait to learn whether their round-of-16 opponents will be Argentina or Cape Verde. Australia’s tournament ends in heartbreak after a spirited display that ultimately fell short on penalties.