World Cup 2026: Egypt Come From Behind to Beat New Zealand at BC Place

Both teams had begun the tournament with draws, New Zealand against Iran (2-2) and Egypt against Belgium (1-1). This meeting at BC Place therefore pitted two sides eager to kick-start their campaign with a win and put themselves in a favorable position in this Group G, which also includes Belgium and Iran.

The match was lively from the outset, with Finn Surman opening the scoring from a Tim Payne pass in the 15th minute. New Zealand showed real aggression, with several disciplinary cautions, including yellow cards for Sarpreet Singh (20th) and Callum McCowatt (34th), as well as Mohanad Lasheen for Egypt (17th). Egypt made their first change before the break, with Hamdy Fathy coming on to replace Rami Rabia (41st).

The second half saw Egypt’s growing dominance pay off. Mostafa Ziko scored the equalizer in the 58th minute from a Mohamed Hany delivery. Mohamed Salah, credited with the assist for Ziko’s goal, then calmly set up Mahmoud Trézéguet, who scored in the 82nd minute. In between, Salah himself scored in the 67th minute, finishing off a superb move started by Ziko. In terms of substitutions, Egypt brought on several key players, including Omar Marmoush and Mahmoud Trézéguet. New Zealand also made changes but were unable to reverse the momentum.

New Zealand struggle to build on a promising start

Lined up in a 4-2-3-1, the New Zealand side started with Max Crocombe in goal and a defensive line made up of Tim Payne, Finn Surman, Michael Boxall and Liberato Cacace. In midfield, Joe Bell and Marko Stamenić handled ball-winning duties, while Callum McCowatt, Sarpreet Singh and Elijah Just supported striker Chris Wood. Despite an encouraging start capped by Surman’s goal, the team failed to contain Egypt’s attacks and proved less effective in the second half. Their share of possession (45%) and total number of shots (10) remained low compared with their opponent, and the defense struggled under increasing pressure.

Egypt rely on their attacking trio to win

The team coached by Hossam Hassan also adopted a 4-2-3-1 shape, with Mostafa Shobeir in goal. In defense, Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Hamdy Fathy and Ahmed Fatouh provided a solid back line. In midfield, Marwan Attia and Mohanad Lasheen gave up ground, while Mostafa Ziko, Mohamed Salah and Emam Ashour supplied Omar Marmoush in attack. Salah’s performance was decisive, with a goal and an assist, while Ziko also stood out for his attacking contributions. Egypt’s bench depth allowed them to maintain the pressure, particularly with the decisive introduction of Trézéguet, who scored Egypt’s final goal.