Belgium stage comeback to earn tie against Egypt in World Cup group match

Belgium and Egypt played to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup opener on Monday, a match that saw a second-half Belgian equaliser spoil Mohamed Salah's 34th birthday celebrations.

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The scoring was initiated by Emam Ashour, who found the back of the net early in the first half in Seattle, only to be countered by Romelu Lukaku, who came off the bench after the hour mark to force an own goal from Egypt's Mohamed Hany.

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Egypt, a seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champion, is still awaiting its first World Cup victory, with this draw marking a continuation of their winless streak in the global tournament, now in its fourth participation.

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Upcoming Group G fixtures against Iran and New Zealand present Egypt with opportunities to break their World Cup hoodoo in North America, according to 18-year-old Barcelona forward Hamza Abdelkarim, who emphasized the importance of securing three points in every match.

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For Belgium, this World Cup tournament may be the last chance for the remnants of their golden generation, including veterans Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois, and Lukaku, to better their third-placed finish in Russia eight years ago and claim silverware.

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According to Belgium's coach, Rudi Garcia, the opening match of the World Cup is always a challenging one, especially against a top African team, and he praised the importance of the whole squad, citing the equalising goal forced by Lukaku, who came off the bench.

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The match saw Kevin De Bruyne create the first notable moment in the seventh minute with a sharp effort that narrowly missed the target, only to be upstaged by Ashour, who scored with a sweetly struck effort just before the hydration break.

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This marked only the second time in Egypt's history that they had taken the lead in a World Cup match, with the first instance being when Salah opened the scoring in a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2018.

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De Bruyne came close to levelling the score early in the second period with a close-range free-kick that rocketed off the outside of the post, while Salah responded with a downward header that was punched away by Courtois.

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The match became increasingly stretched as both sides created scoring opportunities, including a left-footed volley by Belgian captain Youri Tielemans, before Garcia decided to send on Lukaku with 65 minutes gone.

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The substitution immediately paid off, as Lukaku's presence was enough to destabilise Hany, who put the ball through his own net, securing the equaliser for Belgium.

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Salah departed the field with 15 minutes remaining, as Egypt opted to shut up shop and ultimately held out for a point, with the draw leaving both teams to regroup and prepare for their upcoming Group G fixtures.