Egypt denied first World Cup win as Lukaku salvages Belgium draw

Egypt were denied a first-ever World Cup victory after Belgium salvaged a 1-1 draw in their Group G opener in Seattle.

Emam Ashour gave the seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions a deserved first-half lead, finishing clinically to put Egypt in control of the contest.

The North Africans looked set to secure a historic win in their fourth World Cup appearance, but a late twist ensured the points were shared.

Romelu Lukaku turned the game moments after coming on in the second half, forcing a second-half own goal from Egypt defender Mohamed Hany to restore parity for Belgium.

The equaliser came just seconds after Lukaku’s introduction, underlining his influence as Belgium avoided defeat in their opening Group G fixture.

Despite a disciplined performance, Egypt’s search for a first World Cup win goes on. With Group G matches still to come against Iran and New Zealand, they will hope to finally end that drought in North America.

“We know Belgium are a good team; they have good quality players, but we can’t say it was the hardest game or easiest game. Every game for us has got to be three points,” said Egypt’s 18-year-old Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim.

For Belgium, the draw extends a winless run at the World Cup to three matches, dating back to their group-stage exit in 2022.

This tournament is widely viewed as a final opportunity for the core of their so-called golden generation, including Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Lukaku, to secure major international silverware after finishing third in 2018.

“We know the opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africa’s top teams,” said head coach Rudi Garcia.

“We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is.”

Belgium next face Iran in Los Angeles on Sunday, while Egypt take on New Zealand in Vancouver on Monday.