EGYPT coach Hossam Hassan told his players they would not return to the pitch for the second half against New Zealand unless they were determined to get the win their proud supporters deserved.
His stern words had the desired effect as they fought back from a goal down to win 3-1 at BC Place and record their first-evr World Cup victory in the early hours of today, putting them top of Group G with four points from two matches after a 1-1 draw with Belgium in their opener.
Hassan had been under pressure to deliver a first win for Egypt, who had recorded five defeats and two draws in their three previous World Cup appearances in 1934, 1990 and 2018 — a statistic which did not sit well with a side who have won a record seven Africa Cup of Nations titles.
“At half-time I told the players we were not going back out onto the pitch unless we were determined to win and to draw confidence from the pride we feel from that support,” Hassan told reporters.
“To the Egyptian football community, we needed time to build confidence, to capitalise on our strengths and reflect on our journey to qualification, as well as the hard work of previous generations who tried to create these opportunities.
“I wanted this generation to shape its own future, to determine its own path. We also want to continue developing at the level of the national league and across African football.”
The turnaround owed much to Mohamed Salah, who scored one goal and set up another as Egypt showed greater urgency and attacking fluency after the break.
“Salah worked hard on the pitch and this is something you should know,” Hassan, who is Egypt’s all-time top scorer, added.
“I am maybe the first coach to let him play in a position that matches his danger, that matches his capabilities and qualities. We worked on so many things and I am sure we are going to see more from him… ”
Egypt play their final group game against Iran in Seattle on Friday.
