Salah set to face Messi as Egypt beat Australia on penalties at World Cup

Egypt has made history by reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time, defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties after a tense 1-1 draw. The Pharaohs secured their place in the last 16 after a dramatic shootout, with Hossam Abdelmaguid converting the decisive penalty.

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Egypt beat Australia 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time, and could now face Argentina in the last 16.

The match was a hard-fought affair, with Egypt taking an early lead in the 13th minute through a header from Emam Ashour. However, Australia equalized in the second half when Mohamed Hany inadvertently headed the ball into his own net. Both teams had chances but failed to find a winner in regulation time or extra time, leading to the penalty shootout.

Captain Mohamed Salah, playing despite a recent hamstring strain, scored his penalty during the shootout. Australia's hopes were dashed when defender Lucas Herrington hit the crossbar on their final attempt, sending Egypt into jubilation and Australia out of the tournament.

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The Pharaohs will celebrate anyway having reached this stage of a World Cup for the first time ever.

Egypt's historic victory sets up a potential clash with Lionel Messi's Argentina in the next round, provided Argentina avoids an upset against Cape Verde. This marks a significant achievement for Egyptian football, having previously won a match in the group stage against New Zealand.

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This is a lot of firsts stacked on top of each other. I'm just deeply thankful that we're even giving this a go.