Belgium 1–1 Egypt: Lukaku forces own goal seconds after coming on to rescue point
Egypt came within minutes of a maiden World Cup victory before Belgium salvaged a 1-1 draw in their Group G opener at Seattle Stadium. Emam Ashour put the Pharaohs ahead in the 19th minute with a long-range strike, set up by captain Mohamed Salah on his 34th birthday, to give Egypt a rare World Cup half-time lead.
Belgium dominated possession but were repeatedly frustrated, with Kevin De Bruyne striking the post from a free-kick and Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier producing fine saves. The equaliser arrived in the 66th minute, just over 20 seconds after Romelu Lukaku was introduced: his run onto Thomas Meunier's cross forced Mohamed Hany to turn the ball into his own net. Both sides spurned late chances, leaving the Red Devils to share the points.
Key moments
- •Emam Ashour gave Egypt a 19th-minute lead with a long-range effort, assisted by Mohamed Salah.
- •Substitute Romelu Lukaku helped force a Mohamed Hany own goal barely 20 seconds after entering the match.
- •Kevin De Bruyne hit the post from a free-kick as Belgium pressed for an equaliser.
- •Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier made a string of saves, including one to deny Brandon Mechele's header.
- •Egypt fell agonisingly short of a first-ever World Cup win, denied late on by Belgium's response.
Timeline
Match facts
- Seattle Stadium, Seattle
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- Referee: Ramon Abatti Abel (Brazil)
Match report generated from publicly available sources. Facts are drawn from the sources below.