Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Egypt opened their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Belgium on Monday night, but the result left the Pharaohs frustrated after a controversial second-half incident in which they were denied what appeared to be a clear penalty despite no intervention from the Video Assistant Referee.
At Lumen Field in Seattle, Hossam Hassan’s side produced one of their most disciplined performances in recent years and looked on course for a famous victory after taking the lead through Emam Ashour before Belgium fought back to salvage a point.
Yet much of the post-match discussion centered on a disputed challenge inside the Belgian penalty area during the second half. Replays appeared to show contact on an Egyptian player that warranted a spot-kick, but referee Ramon Abatti allowed play to continue and there was no VAR review communicated to the crowd, leaving Egyptian players and supporters furious.
Ashour Strikes After Bright Egyptian Start
Egypt began confidently, pressing high and attempting to control possession against a Belgian side widely tipped to finish top of Group G.
Belgium threatened early when Kevin De Bruyne fired narrowly wide in the seventh minute, but the Pharaohs gradually settled into the contest and began finding space through Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush.
The breakthrough arrived in the 19th minute. Salah produced a clever pass to Emam Ashour, who unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that beat Thibaut Courtois and flew into the net, sending Egyptian supporters into celebration.
The goal rewarded Egypt’s energetic opening and exposed vulnerabilities in a Belgian defense that struggled to contain the movement of Salah, Marmoush and Mostafa Ziko.
Belgium enjoyed more possession after falling behind but found Egypt’s defensive organization difficult to break down. Ahmed Fattouh and Mohamed Hany worked tirelessly on the flanks, while Yasser Ibrahim and Hamdi Fathi helped repel repeated Belgian attacks.
Egypt nearly doubled their lead in the 33rd minute when Ziko’s fierce effort flashed just wide, before Courtois produced a crucial save in first-half stoppage time to deny Marmoush in a one-on-one situation.
Missed Chances and a Growing Sense of Injustice
Egypt continued to look dangerous after the restart.
Within minutes of the second half beginning, both Ziko and Marmoush saw promising efforts blocked inside the Belgian area. Moments later, Courtois again came to Belgium’s rescue, stopping Salah’s close-range header before Ashour blasted the rebound over the crossbar.
The Pharaohs maintained pressure and repeatedly forced Belgium onto the back foot. During this spell came the game’s most controversial moment.
Egyptian players appealed passionately for a penalty after a challenge inside the Belgian box, but referee Abatti waved away the claims. Television replays appeared to show sufficient contact for a spot-kick, yet no on-field review was conducted and VAR did not intervene.
The decision proved pivotal.
Belgium Capitalize
After surviving Egypt’s pressure, Belgium gradually regained momentum.
Mostafa Shobeir preserved Egypt’s advantage with an excellent save from De Bruyne in the 62nd minute, but Belgium found an equalizer four minutes later.
Shortly after Romelu Lukaku entered the match, a dangerous Belgian attack ended with Mohamed Hany inadvertently turning the ball into his own net under pressure, leveling the score at 1-1.
The equalizer shifted the momentum of the contest, though Egypt continued to push for a winner. Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” and Hamza Abdelkarim were introduced in the closing stages as Hossam Hassan sought fresh attacking energy.
Egypt controlled large portions of possession during the final ten minutes and looked the more ambitious side, but Belgium held firm through five minutes of stoppage time.
Encouraging Display Despite Frustration
While Egypt were unable to secure all three points, the performance offered plenty of encouragement against one of Europe’s strongest teams.
Ashour delivered an influential display in midfield, Salah created several dangerous moments and the defensive unit largely contained a Belgian attack featuring De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Leandro Trossard and Lukaku.
Nevertheless, the sense of frustration remained evident at full time. Egypt may have earned a valuable point against a tournament favorite, but many within the camp will feel they were denied the opportunity to claim victory after the contentious penalty decision that could prove one of the most debated moments of the World Cup’s opening round.
The result leaves Egypt with one point from their first Group G match, while Belgium escape with a draw after being pushed to their limits by a determined Pharaohs side.
