“Hani’s Own Goal Costs Egypt Victory as Belgium Salvage Draw”
IIE DIGITAL DESK ; June 16: Egypt’s dream of securing their first win in the World Cup was shattered by Belgium as the Group G match ended in a 1–1 draw on Monday night in Seattle.
Egypt took the lead through a goal from Imam Ashour, putting pressure on the European side early in the contest. However, after the break, an unfortunate own goal by Egyptian defender Mohamed Hani brought Belgium back into the match. Belgium’s record goal scorer Romelu Lukaku, who came on as a substitute, played a key role in the move that led to the equaliser.
Belgium ended a 325-minute goal drought in World Cup competition. Earlier, their longest goalless streak had been 244 minutes between the 1982 and 1986 editions, making this one of their most prolonged scoring droughts in tournament history.
Egypt, the result extended their winless run in World Cup history. Having now played eight matches across four World Cup appearances, they remain without a victory, recording three draws and five defeats. The African side had returned to the World Cup after their 2018 appearance, hoping to make a stronger impact this time.
Statistically, Belgium dominated possession with around 54 percent of the ball. They attempted 15 shots compared to Egypt’s 14, while both teams managed three shots on target each in a closely contested encounter.
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