ARLINGTON, Texas — Egypt held their nerve to move into the World Cup last 16 with a 4-2 penalty shootout win over Australia on Friday following a 1-1 draw after extra time at Dallas Stadium.
Hossam Abdelmaguid rolled in the winning spot-kick after Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington missed from 12 yards for the Australians as Egypt recorded their first win in a World Cup knockout match, Reuters reported.
Emam Ashour had given Egypt the lead with a 13th-minute header before an own goal by Mohamed Hany 10 minutes into the second half levelled the scores.
Mohamed Salah was an unexpected inclusion in Egypt’s starting line-up, the forward recovering sufficiently from a hamstring strain to take up his customary position on the right of the attack.
Cristian Volpato gave the African side an early scare with a dipping strike from distance that clipped the top of Mostafa Shoubir’s crossbar but Hossam Hassan’s side were soon in front.
Jackson Irvine needlessly gave away a free kick to the left of the penalty area when he upended Mostafa Zico and, with the defence only half-clearing Ashour’s initial centre, the winger popped up to head Karim Hafez’s cross beyond Patrick Beach.
Omar Marmoush threatened briefly and Australia’s Aziz Behich forced Shoubir to drop to his right to gather before Volpato, the Socceroos’ most creative outlet in the opening half, curled a stoppage-time strike wide.
The Australians were fortunate not to go further behind within 10 seconds of the restart when Marmoush slid his shot across goal with Beach beaten and they were soon level.
Aiden O’Neill picked himself up after being fouled on the left to deliver an inswinging free kick into the six-yard box, prompting Hany to flick a header into his own goal.
Beach pulled off a reflex save deep into stoppage time to take the match into sinkextra-time, the Melbourne City goalkeeper pawing Ramy Rabia’s header over the bar while Haissem Hassan’s effort was deflected to safety by Souttar’s outstretched knee.
An unmarked Mohamed Salah, who had been muted throughout regulation time, thumped Marmoush’s layoff over the bar three minutes into the extra period to grant Tony Popovic’s side a reprieve with Egypt increasingly dominant.
Beach made way for Mat Ryan between the posts as Popovic attempted to make use of the 34-year-old’s experience but Souttar fired the first spot-kick over the bar to hand the Egyptians an early advantage.
Mahmoud Saber, Ramy Rabia and Salah were all on target for Egypt with Jackson Irvine and Awer Mabil converting for Australia before Herrington rattled the crossbar in the fourth round and Abdelmaguid stepped up to send Egypt into the last 16.
