Mohamed Salah revealed he decided at the very last moment to chip his penalty under immense pressure, guiding Egypt into the World Cup last 16 for the first time in their history. The former Liverpool star and Egypt captain stepped up third in the shootout and coolly executed a Panenka as Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Texas.
Historic Achievement for Egypt
Egypt, who had never before won a World Cup knockout game, will now face either Lionel Messi's Argentina or Cape Verde in the next round. The 34-year-old Salah played the entire 120 minutes despite being hampered by a hamstring strain, showing his determination to lead his country.
“If somebody was going to do it, it would be me. I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence,” said Salah, who appeared emotional after the match. “I decided last minute, I had to do it.”
Salah's Leadership Shines
Salah described the achievement as “history” for Egypt and urged his teammates to savor the moment. The great underachievers of African football had finally made their mark on the biggest stage. “I always try to enjoy every moment because it does not come back,” Salah said. “So I always tell the boys, 'just enjoy the moment', and probably we'll see tonight in a few minutes how we're going to celebrate outside the bus now. But we can't take it for granted because Egypt — I don't know how many times I've said the word — but it's never before we qualified in a group stage and never qualified for the next round, so it's just a moment to enjoy.”
Team Selection and Performance
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan had expressed uncertainty about Salah's fitness on Thursday, saying he was “not sure” if the talisman would start. However, Hassan included Salah in the starting XI alongside Manchester City's Omar Marmoush in attack. Aside from his decisive penalty in the shootout, Salah has contributed one goal and two assists so far in the tournament in North America, maintaining his impressive average of a goal every other game for his country.
