标签： Africa

A landmark moment in Egyptian football history has sparked joyful celebrations, with star forward Mohamed Salah leading street festivities alongside teammates and supporters in Vancouver following the North African nation’s first-ever win at the FIFA World Cup. The groundbreaking result ends a long drought of World Cup victories for Egypt, delivering a moment of national pride that transcended borders even for squad members and fans gathered abroad in Canada. Videos and on-the-ground reports capture the jubilant scene, where Salah and his fellow players joined fans in dance, reveling in the achievement that has cemented this match as a defining entry in Egyptian football lore. For years, Egypt’s national team had competed on the world’s biggest football stage without claiming a win, making this breakthrough result far more than a simple match victory—it is a historic milestone for the country’s football program. Supporters gathered in Vancouver joined fans across the globe in marking the occasion, turning city streets into an impromptu celebration of the long-awaited win that was capped by a decisive goal from Salah, who turned past World Cup disappointment to deliver the historic performance.

After nearly a century of heartbreak and near-misses across nine World Cup appearances, Egypt has finally secured its first ever victory at football’s biggest global tournament, spearheaded by national icon Mohamed Salah who delivered a defining second-half performance to sink New Zealand in a 3-1 Group Stage clash.

The match got off to a rocky start for the Pharaohs, as New Zealand stunned the favorites with an early opening goal, and Salah looked set to continue a run of quiet, underwhelming performances that had marked his start to the 2026 World Cup. The 34-year-old superstar had turned in an ineffectual shift in Egypt’s opening 1-1 draw with Belgium, and remained off the pace through the first 45 minutes against New Zealand, leaving fans fearing his long history of World Cup misery would stretch on.

But Salah flipped the script in spectacular fashion in the second half. In the 67th minute, he fired home the goal that put Egypt ahead, capping a patient comeback from the early deficit. Later, his perfectly delivered corner kick found the head of Trezeguet, who netted the sealing goal to lock in the historic 3-1 result. The win puts Egypt on the cusp of qualifying for the knockout round, with a point from their final Group Stage fixture against Iran all but guaranteeing a spot in the round of 16, and the side could even progress without picking up that point depending on other results.

For Salah personally, the moment was years in the making. His first World Cup appearance in 2018 was marred by injury, a disjointed campaign, and three straight defeats that ended with Egypt crashing out in the group stage. The fallout from that failure was so severe that Salah publicly criticized the Egyptian Football Association for mismanaging preparations, and reports emerged that he had considered stepping away from international football entirely. Egypt then failed to qualify for the 2022 Qatar World Cup, extending both the country’s and Salah’s wait for a breakthrough on the global stage.

Off the pitch, the forward is coming off a turbulent final season at Liverpool, where he fell out with manager Arne Slot before announcing his departure this summer, with his future club still unconfirmed. Despite that off-field uncertainty, Salah prioritized his national team’s World Cup run, determined to correct the mistakes and disappointments of the past. Ahead of the New Zealand match, Egyptian head coach Hossam Hassan was even forced to deny public speculation of a rift between himself and Salah, after substituting the star early in the Belgium draw.

Sunday’s strike was Salah’s 68th international goal for Egypt in 118 appearances, moving him just one goal behind Hassan’s all-time national scoring record. Industry figures and pundits were quick to praise the superstar’s impact. Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou, commentating for ITV, noted: “If there was any doubt about Mo’s impact on this team, you can still see it. It will give them enormous belief. They had to deal with adversity and their big player stood up and that will give them big confidence. You need your big players to perform to progress.” Former Jamaica international winger Jobi McAnuff echoed that sentiment, adding: “Just when he was needed, Mo Salah stood up for his country.”

Salah’s status as a national icon in Egypt cannot be overstated – far beyond his stardom in European club football, he is a cultural institution in his home country, with every touch of the ball drawing roars from the stands and massive pressure on his shoulders every time he pulls on the national jersey. His importance to the side is so profound that when he suffered a serious shoulder injury in the 2018 Champions League final just weeks before that year’s World Cup, Egypt’s Minister of Health personally reached out to the national team medical staff to check on his condition. “I even had calls from Egypt’s Minister of Health,” recalled Dr Mohamed Aboud, the Egyptian national team medic.

Though Salah has claimed multiple domestic and European trophies during his time at Liverpool, he has never lifted a major title with Egypt. The generation before his claimed three straight Africa Cup of Nations titles between 2006 and 2010, but Egypt has fallen at the final hurdle twice in recent AFCON tournaments, losing the 2017 final to Cameroon and the 2021 final (held in early 2022) to Senegal. With this landmark World Cup win, however, Egypt has finally laid to rest one of its longest-running football ghosts, and Salah has cemented his legacy as the man who delivered the country’s most coveted milestone in nearly a century.

Speaking after the final whistle, Salah kept his focus on the task ahead: “It’s a great achievement for all the players. It’s a great win. It’s a great vibe. The next game is very important.”

Against all pre-tournament expectations, the tiny Atlantic island nation of Cape Verde is writing one of the most memorable underdog stories in modern World Cup history, sitting just one result away from advancing to the knockout stage on their tournament debut after a thrilling 2-2 draw with two-time world champions Uruguay.

The Blue Sharks, ranked 63rd in the FIFA world rankings, already sent shockwaves through global football earlier in the group stage when they held 65 places higher-ranked Spain to a stalemate. On Sunday, they replicated and even built on that performance to earn a hard-fought point against a Uruguayan side long established as World Cup stalwarts, cementing their reputation as the most entertaining surprise package of the 2026 expanded tournament.

With a total population of just under 525,000 spread across 10 Atlantic islands according to World Bank data, Cape Verde has punched far above its weight against two of the most experienced sides in the competition. Unlike the Spain draw, where goalkeeper Vozinha emerged as an unlikely social media sensation (growing from 40,000 pre-tournament Instagram followers to more than 15 million after his heroics), this time the Blue Sharks’ defensive organization limited Uruguay to only two shots on target, and the match-winning contributions came from the attacking end. Notably, Vozinha was able to share the moment with his mother, who could not attend the Spain match due to prohibitive U.S. visa costs but was present in Miami to watch her son’s side hold the South American giants.

From the opening whistle, Cape Verde adopted a bold, attack-minded game plan, constantly pushing the ball upfield to put Uruguay under sustained pressure, leaving the tournament heavyweights reeling against the debutants’ energetic, free-flowing play. The first history-making moment came in the first half, when Kevin Pina stepped up to take a 30-yard free kick. Uruguay’s defensive wall jumped to block the effort, but split open unexpectedly, allowing Pina’s well-struck shot to arrow through the gap and beat keeper Fernando Muslera for Cape Verde’s first ever World Cup goal. Back in the nation’s capital Praia, the strike sparked wild celebrations among fans who had already dared to dream after the Spain draw.

Written off by almost all pundits before kickoff – including former Wales defender Ashley Williams and former South Africa striker Benni McCarthy, who both predicted a Uruguay win on BBC One – Cape Verde refused to conform to expectations. After Uruguay fought back to take the lead, Helio Varela capitalized on a defensive mistake to produce a clinical finish, rounding a stranded Muslera with a deft touch before slotting the ball into an empty net to equalize. In the second half, Cape Verde combined the steely defensive resilience that earned them a point against Spain with continued attacking threat, pushing hard for a winning goal that would have delivered an even bigger upset. They ended the match with 12 total shots, four on target – double Uruguay’s tally, with 10 of those chances coming in the second half as they chased victory.

The stunning back-to-back performances have already won over neutral fans and pundits alike. McCarthy told BBC One after the match that he had “a new lease of respect” for Cape Verde, praising their bravery and sensational play: “They really came out to play. I think they’ve won a lot of people’s hearts after this performance.” Williams called it the “most entertaining” game he had covered at the 2026 World Cup so far, adding: “Even at the end, they wanted the win – and that’s against Uruguay.” Former England forward Sue Smith described the display as “outstanding from Cape Verde yet again”, noting that “the story of this team keeps going.” Former Scotland forward James McFadden highlighted the side’s joy as a key part of their appeal: “The biggest thing for me is how much Cape Verde are enjoying themselves. It’s been a joy to watch.”

The result leaves Cape Verde third in Group H, level on two points with Uruguay, entering their final group stage match against Saudi Arabia. Under the new expanded World Cup format, the Blue Sharks have a clear path to the knockout stage: three points from Saturday’s fixture will be enough to seal progression, and pundits including McCarthy believe the underdogs are well positioned to pull off the win. Only two teams ranked lower than Cape Verde’s current 63rd place have ever advanced to the World Cup knockout stage before: 74th-ranked Nigeria in 1998 and 70th-ranked Russia in 2018. If Cape Verde can beat Saudi Arabia, they will not only make their own tournament history, but cap off one of the most remarkable underdog runs the World Cup has ever seen. Cape Verde are also the first World Cup debutants to remain unbeaten through their first two group games since Senegal’s iconic run in 2002, putting them in elite underdog company already. As Williams put it: “They’ll be going into the Saudi Arabia game with their tails up thinking ‘we can qualify here.’” Speaking from a U.S. fan park, one Cape Verde fan summed up the mood surrounding the team: “everybody doubted us, everybody thought we weren’t going to make it. We’re here now.”

In a moment of unscripted, raw sports joy that has captured global attention, a Cape Verde football fan’s euphoric reaction went viral during a live BBC News interview amid the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The encounter unfolded when BBC reporter Paul Njie was mid-conversation with the supporter, who had traveled to support his underdog national side in their group stage match against Uruguay. Just as the interview was underway, Cape Verde netted their first ever goal in World Cup history – a milestone that had been decades in the making for the small island nation. The fan immediately abandoned any composure, erupting into wild celebration, yelling and jumping in a moment of unfiltered elation that quickly spread across social media platforms. The clip, published six hours ago by the BBC’s World Cup section, has already racked up hundreds of interactions, with fans around the world celebrating the historic moment for Cape Verde alongside the elated supporter. Note that full video access is currently restricted to users located within the United Kingdom.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — As the sun rose over the Canadian city this weekend, one of African football’s most promising 2026 World Cup stories was waiting to be written. Ranked 28th globally, Egypt’s national team, affectionately nicknamed the Pharaohs, steps onto the pitch Sunday against 83rd-ranked New Zealand (the All Whites) on the cusp of a historic milestone: the program’s first ever World Cup match victory. A win would not only cement that long-awaited breakthrough, it would also put Egypt firmly in the driver’s seat to advance to the tournament’s knockout round.

Speaking to reporters Saturday through an Arabic translation, Egyptian head coach Hossam Hassan summed up the weight of the moment: “This match is everything in our world for the moment.”

Egypt’s chase of history is far from an isolated story — it is the latest chapter in a dramatic, long-building surge in African soccer’s standing on the global stage. This year’s expanded 48-team World Cup format has opened new doors for the continent, granting African nations more slots than ever before to compete against the world’s elite. A record 10 African squads have qualified for the 2026 tournament, a milestone that reflects the growing depth of talent across the region.

“The national squads of Africa have proven their great performance many times at the World Cup, including this one,” Hassan said. That claim is already backed up by results from the early stages of the tournament. Morocco captured global attention with a legendary run to the World Cup semifinals in 2022, and this year, other African sides have already delivered upset after upset.

Ghana opened its tournament with a win over Panama, while Ivory Coast defeated 2022 runner-up Ecuador in its first match. Four African squads, Egypt included, earned draws in their opening fixtures. Egypt’s 1-1 draw with Belgium marked the first World Cup point the program has earned since 1990, and it also delivered two more firsts: the Pharaohs held a lead over Belgium going into halftime, only the second time the team has ever held a lead against any opponent in World Cup history.

Early tournament upsets have cemented African soccer’s new reputation as a threat to traditional powerhouses. Morocco held off five-time World Cup champion Brazil, Congo secured a hard-fought draw against Portugal, and tiny Cape Verde pulled off one of the biggest shocks of the tournament so far, holding pre-tournament favorite Spain to a scoreless 0-0 draw after notching its first ever World Cup goal earlier in the competition.

Out of all the rising African contenders, Egypt stands out as a long-standing regional powerhouse. The Pharaohs have claimed the Africa Cup of Nations title seven times, more than any other nation, and Hassan says the squad is determined to prove that its dominance translates to the global stage. “We want to represent African football and Arab football,” said Hassan, who is Egypt’s all-time leading men’s goal scorer and competed for the Pharaohs at the 1990 World Cup.

Hassan’s decades of experience at the top of the sport have been instrumental in guiding Egypt back to the World Cup after the squad missed out on qualification in 2022. The team is led by global superstars Mo Salah and Omar Marmoush, with Salah just two goals away from matching Hassan’s all-time scoring record for the national side. A talented crop of young talent adds depth to the roster, including 18-year-old Hamza Abdelkarim, who made his senior international debut in a friendly against Russia just last month — one of dozens of young African stars making their first World Cup appearances this year.

Hassan says the team’s biggest motivation is delivering for the millions of Egyptian fans back home and across the diaspora. “We want to live up to the aspirations of the Egyptian fans,” he said. “I only think about bringing happiness to our fans.”

After Sunday’s match against New Zealand, Egypt closes out its group stage play with a match against Iran in Seattle. As the Pharaohs stand one win away from making program history, they are not just playing for their own nation — they are playing for the entire continent of Africa, as the world watches African soccer’s rise unfold.

At the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup Group 1 clash hosted at Old Trafford in Manchester, all-rounder Marizanne Kapp delivered a career-defining all-round performance to hand South Africa a dramatic six-wicket victory over India, reigniting the Proteas’ chances of reaching the tournament’s semi-finals. With just five deliveries remaining in their chase, South Africa crossed the finish line of a 159-run target, capping off a stunning comeback led by Kapp’s unbeaten 45-ball knock of 81, which included seven fours and four blistering sixes. This result leaves both sides level on four points in the group standings, setting up a decisive final stretch of group stage fixtures for both nations.

India captain Harmanpreet Kaur, playing her milestone 200th T20 International match, won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision that got off to a promising start. Opening batter Shafali Verma got the side off to a flying start, notching 31 runs off just 15 deliveries with three boundaries and one six, lifting India to 59-2 by the end of the mandatory powerplay. But the innings stalled early: both opening batters were back in the pavilion before the powerplay ended, with Smriti Mandhana bowled while attempting a risky scoop shot and Verma edging a short delivery behind to the wicketkeeper. No subsequent Indian batter was able to match Verma’s aggressive start, and despite a late 29 runs from 21 balls from Deepti Sharma, India could only post a competitive total of 158-7 from their 20 overs. Kapp was India’s undoing with the ball as well, claiming two key wickets for just 27 runs, including the scalps of Mandhana and dangerous lower-order batter Richa Ghosh, while Shabnim Ismail backed her up with 2-28 to keep India’s total in check.

South Africa’s chase got off to a rocky start, with Indian leg-spinner Sree Charani picking up three wickets for 24 runs, including two strikes in three balls that left the Proteas reeling at 25-2 by the final over of the powerplay. It was at this precarious juncture that Kapp joined Tazmin Brits at the crease to rebuild the innings. The pair started cautiously, reaching only 59 runs by the halfway point of the chase, before gradually shifting gears and building a match-winning partnership. When Brits fell for 40 runs off 36 balls, caught in the deep off Verma, the partnership was just three runs short of a century, leaving Kapp with the majority of the chase still ahead. Minutes later, Kapp survived a major scare when Indian spinner Radha Yadav dropped a straightforward catch at long-on, a missed opportunity that would prove costly for India.

Kapp made India pay immediately for the error, hammering two consecutive sixes over the ropes off Deepti Sharma in the penultimate over of the chase, putting the Proteas within touching distance of victory. Chloe Tyron eventually sealed the win with a edge for four off Nandni Sharma in the 19th over, securing the six-wicket win with five balls to spare. Post-match, South Africa captain Laura Wolvaardt heaped praise on the match-winner, calling Kapp the most impactful big-match player she has ever shared a dressing room with. “Whenever something is on the line or we’re playing in a World Cup she finds a way,” Wolvaardt said. “She said she didn’t feel great today so I hope she doesn’t feel great every game! She just has that competitive nature and it brings out the best in her.” Analysis of the match also noted that India struggled to adjust their bowling plans when Kapp moved around the crease and targeted the area behind square on the leg side, allowing her to accumulate runs at will in the back half of the innings.

For the group standings, the result puts South Africa level with India on four points, behind unbeaten group leaders Australia who sit top with six points from two matches. South Africa still has group fixtures against Bangladesh and the Netherlands to come, while India now faces a do-or-die clash against Australia at Lord’s on 28 June, a match that will likely decide which of the two sides advances to the semi-finals from Group 1. Having suffered a 65-run thrashing at the hands of Australia in their opening group fixture, this win was a must for South Africa to retain any realistic hope of claiming one of the two Group 1 semi-final spots, and Kapp’s historic knock has kept their campaign firmly on track.