Salem Al-Dawsari scored an injury-time winner |
Salem Al-Dawsari's late goal secured Saudi Arabia a first World Cup win in 24 years with a 2-1 victory over Egypt in Volgograd.
In what was a dead-rubber game in Group A after both teams
lost their opening two games, Mohamed Salah, who was not initially named
in Egypt's starting line-up, gave his side the lead in the 22nd minute,
scoring his 50th goal in 58 appearances for club and country since July
2017.
Essam El-Hadary, who become the oldest player to feature in
a World Cup aged 45 years and 16 days, saved Fahad Al Muwallad's
41st-minute penalty but he could not keep out Salman Al Faraj's
spot-kick deep into first-half injury time as Saudi Arabia drew level.
The game was seemingly heading for a draw when Al-Dawsari struck to
spark wild celebrations from Saudi Arabia as they ended their World Cup
campaign with victory, while Egypt, who finished fourth in group A,
became the first side since Honduras in 2014 to lose all three group
games at a World Cup.
Salem Al-Dawsari scores an injury-time winner to hand Saudi Arabia all three points against Egypt |
There was confusion before kick-off when Salah was initially left out
of Egypt's starting line-up. The Liverpool star was eventually included
in the line-up minutes after an earlier tweet was published with a list
omitting the 26-year-old's name.
Salah's presence had been the
subject of speculation following media reports he was on the verge of
quitting international football but he put all that behind him in the
22nd minute, bringing down Abdalla El Said's long ball before lofting it
over the onrushing Yasser Al Mosailem and into the back of the net for
his second goal of the tournament.
Player ratings
Saudi Arabia:
Al Mosailem (7), Al Burayk (7), Os Hawsawi (7), M Hawsawi (8), Al
Shahrani (7), Otayf (8), Bahebri (7), Al Mogahwi (7), Al Faraj (8), Al
Dawsari (8), Al Muwallad (7).
Subs: Aseri (6), Al Shehriat (6).
Egypt: El Hadary (8), Fathy (6), Gabr (6), Hegazi (6), Shafy (6), Elneny (6), Hamed (6), El Said (6), Salah (6), Trezeguet (6), Mohsen (6).
Subs: Warda (6), Sobhi (6), Kahraba (n/a)
Man of the match: Salman Al Faraj
Subs: Aseri (6), Al Shehriat (6).
Egypt: El Hadary (8), Fathy (6), Gabr (6), Hegazi (6), Shafy (6), Elneny (6), Hamed (6), El Said (6), Salah (6), Trezeguet (6), Mohsen (6).
Subs: Warda (6), Sobhi (6), Kahraba (n/a)
Man of the match: Salman Al Faraj
It
was Egypt's first goal from open play at a World Cup since 1934 and
Salah, who converted a penalty against Russia in their second group
game, should have doubled the advantage minutes later. He broke clear on
goal but, after drawing Al Mosailem, uncharacteristically dinked wide
of the right-hand post.
The other major story was the inclusion
El-Hadary, who smashed the record set by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd
Mondragon - who was aged 43 years and three days when he played against
Japan in Brazil in 2014 - to become the oldest player to feature at a
World Cup.
He justified his inclusion in the 41st minute, flying
to his right to push Al Muwallad's powerful penalty onto the crossbar
after Yasser Al-Shahrani's cross had hit Ahmed Fathy's arm.
Essam El-Hadary, the oldest player to compete in the World Cup, saves a penalty from Fahad Al-Muwallad |
However, he could not do anything to preserve his side's lead when
Saudi Arabia were awarded a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time
as Fahad appeared to pull the shirt of the covering Ali Gabr before
going down in a heap.
But after a VAR-induced review that took
almost five minutes to complete, Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan decided
to stick with his original decision.
Team news
Yasser
Al-Mosailem started in goal for Saudi Arabia, meaning all three of the
squad’s goalkeepers will have played one game in Russia.
Egypt also made a change in goal, fielding 45-year-old goal keeper Essam El-Hadary, who became the oldest ever player to appear at a World Cup.
Egypt also made a change in goal, fielding 45-year-old goal keeper Essam El-Hadary, who became the oldest ever player to appear at a World Cup.
It
was second time lucky from the spot as Salman Al-Faraj took
responsibility from 12 yards and El-Hadary could not repeat his heroics
as the first-half clock ticked past 51 minutes.
After the break,
El-Hadary made an acrobatic save to keep out Housain Al-Moqahwi's header
but chances were few and far between as the game looked to be heading
for a draw.
Saudi Arabia's Osama Hawsawi and Egypt's Marwan Mohsen |
However, in the fifth minute of second-half injury-time, Al-Dawsari
popped up in the box to volley past El-Hadary with the last kick of the
match to secure a famous Saudi win.
Opta stats
- Saudi Arabia ended a run of 12 World Cup matches without winning (D2 L10), recording their first victory since June 1994 when they won 1-0 against Belgium.
- This was Egypt's seventh match at the World Cup without winning (D2 L5) - only Honduras have played more times at the World Cup without recording a win (9).
- Egypt goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, at the age of 45 years and 161 days, is the oldest player in the history of the World Cup, breaking the record set by Colombia's Faryd Mondragon in 2014 (43y 3d). El Hadary became the second goalkeeper at the 2018 World Cup to save a penalty on his debut, after Iceland's Hannes Thór Halldórsson, who did so against Argentina.
- This match was the first time Egypt have ever led in a World Cup match, in what was their seventh match in the competition.
- Mohamed Salah became the first African player to score in his first two appearances at the World Cup, scoring against Russia on MD2 and Saudi Arabia today.
- Salman Al Faraj's penalty goal for Saudi Arabia, scored after 50 minutes and 36 seconds, was the latest goal scored in the first half of a World Cup game since 1966.
- 36% of Saudi Arabia's goals at the World Cup have been scored from the penalty spot (4 of 11).
- Between the 1982 and 2014 World Cup tournaments, there were no instances of a team taking two first-half penalties - there have been two in as many days at the 2018 World Cup (England v Panama on June 24, Saudi Arabia v Egypt today).
- Saudi Arabia midfielder Abdullah Otayf completed 110 passes in this match, the most by an Asian player in a World Cup match since 1966.
Man of the match - Salman Al Faraj
Salman Al-Faraj celebrates after scoring Saudi Arabia's equaliser from the penalty spot |
The Al-Hilal man was key to Saudi Arabia's victory.
Always
available for the ball, the 28-year-old dictated the game for Pizzi's
side with his penetrative passing and accurate crossing.
He also
stepped up in dramatic circumstances to draw his side level deep into
injury time at the end of the first half. He had to wait over five
minutes while VAR checked the award of the penalty but it didn't bother
him one bit as he buried the spot-kick with the minimum of fuss at what
was a crucial point in the game.
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