MO SALAH PURSUES EGYPT RECORD AS WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN CONTINUES

Mo Salah scored in Egypt's 3-1 World Cup victory against New Zealand last week, moving the forward to within one goal of Egypt's all-time international goalscorer, Hossam Hassan, who serves as the nation's coach at the tournament. The win marked Egypt's first-ever victory in a World Cup match. Salah described the achievement as one that would be remembered in history. The result moved Egypt towards qualification for the final 32 teams.

Egypt's progression prompted celebrations in Cairo, where crowds brought traffic to a standstill. The nation had previously failed to advance from the group stage despite reaching the World Cup in 1990 and 2018. Egypt's most recent African Cup of Nations success came in 2010, a year before Salah made his international debut. The forward has made 119 appearances for Egypt but has never won the continental championship, an absence that has defined his international career.

Salah's current World Cup campaign is likely to be his last for Egypt. A journalist at Egyptian football website KingFut stated that whilst Salah ranks as the finest player to represent the national team, his international record has not matched the achievements of players from Egypt's 2006, 2008 and 2010 African Cup-winning squads. Salah faces Australia next in the group stage. The forward previously reached the 2018 World Cup with Egypt.