Salah says ‘had to do it’ after coolest of penalties in World Cup win

Egypt's Mohamed Salah delivered a moment of history, converting a audacious 'Panenka' penalty in a shootout to secure his nation's first-ever World Cup knockout stage victory. The Pharaohs defeated Australia 4-2 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw in Texas, propelling them into the last 16.

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If somebody was going to do it, it would be me. I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence.

Salah, Egypt's captain and star forward, stepped up third in the shootout, demonstrating immense composure to chip the ball over the Australian goalkeeper. Despite visibly being hampered by a hamstring strain, the 34-year-old played the entire 120 minutes and embraced the pressure, stating, "If somebody was going to do it, it would be me. I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence."

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I decided last minute, I had to do it.

"I decided last minute, I had to do it," Salah added, clearly emotional after the match. This historic win marks a significant achievement for Egypt, long considered underachievers in African football, as they finally make their mark on the world's biggest stage.

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I always try to enjoy every moment because it does not come back. So I always tell the boys, ‘just enjoy the moment’, and probably we’ll see tonight in a few minutes how we’re going to celebrate outside the bus now.

Egypt's next challenge will be a formidable one as they prepare to face either Lionel Messi's Argentina or Cape Verde. Coach Hossam Hassan had expressed uncertainty about Salah's fitness prior to the match, but the talismanic forward proved his mettle, not only with the decisive penalty but also with one goal and two assists throughout the tournament so far.

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But we can’t take it for granted because Egypt, I don’t know how many times I’ve said the word, but it’s never before we qualified in a group stage and never qualified for the next round, so it’s just a moment to enjoy.