Seattle witnessed an Egyptian performance that deserved far more than a shared point as the Pharaohs outplayed their European opponents, standing mere moments from a historic victory.

Emam Ashour’s stunning first international goal put an assertive Egypt firmly on course for a maiden FIFA World Cup win. It ultimately took the emergency introduction of Romelu Lukaku to salvage a desperate, lucky point for Belgium against a dominant African side.

Prior to this Group G opener, the Pharaohs had only ever led a World Cup match for 29 minutes in their entire history. They shattered that mark with confidence, controlling the tempo and orchestrating the match beautifully after an exquisite opener from Ashour.

On the day of his 34th birthday, Mohamed Salah scripted a moment of pure genius, allowing Ashour to publish it emphatically. The Al Ahly midfielder took one deft touch to set himself before sweeping a brilliant strike through the legs of Thomas Meunier and past a diving Thibaut Courtois, sending a thoroughly superior Egypt into the break ahead.

Both teams now earned a single point in Group G, which also features Iran and New Zealand.