Egypt Secures Historic First World Cup Knockout Win, Dedicates Victory to Palestinian People

Dallas. Egypt's head coach Hossam Hassan has dedicated the historic victory in the World Cup knockout stage against Australia to the Palestinian people. With this victory of Egypt, celebrations were held all night in the entire Arab world as well as in Palestine.

In the competitive Round of 32 match held at Dallas Stadium on Friday, after a 1-1 draw until extra time, Egypt defeated Australia 4-2 in a penalty shootout. With this, Egypt registered its first-ever World Cup knockout win in its history and secured a place in the last 16. 

Hossam Abdelmaguid scored the decisive penalty goal, making Egypt victorious. Australia's Harry Sauter and Lucas Harington failed to convert their penalty shots into goals. Egypt will now compete against Argentina in the Round of 16.

Imam Ashour gave Egypt the lead with a header in the 13th minute of the match. However, in the 10th minute of the second half, an own goal by Mohamed Hany brought the game to a draw. Speaking to reporters after the match, coach Hassan said, 'May Allah grant them (Palestinians) victory. May Allah have mercy on their martyrs.' He added, 'I want to tell them, I dedicate this victory to the people of Egypt and the Palestinian people, those kind and honorable people.'

After the victory, Hassan entered the field carrying the flags of both Egypt and Palestine. The Egyptian players collectively celebrated the victory with prostration (kneeling in prayer) on the field. This is the historic victory achieved by Egypt in its very first World Cup knockout match.

• Wave of Happiness in Gaza Too

After Egypt's victory, many Palestinian football fans expressed their happiness on social media. Tamer Nahed from Gaza wrote on X (formerly Twitter), 'For the first time, I am watching the World Cup with so much enthusiasm.' He added, 'I was extremely happy when Egypt won a while ago. But the most beautiful scene was here. Thousands of people came out from their tents and from the rubble of destroyed houses to watch the game.'

He further wrote, 'Smiles lit up everyone's faces, sounds of joy echoed all around. It felt like, amidst all the surrounding pain, everyone had decided to give themselves a moment of feeling alive.' In videos released on social media, people in Gaza are seen watching the game on a big screen amidst bombed-out buildings and temporary tents. Many were smiling, and children had painted Egyptian flags on their faces.

• Dispute with Police

A few hours before Egypt's match, some members of the team became a topic of discussion on social media due to a dispute with Dallas police. According to the Egyptian football team, on Friday, an officer from the Dallas police pushed team director Ibrahim Hassan and player Trezeguet as they were trying to take a photo with a fan at the hotel where the team was staying. However, the Dallas Police Department clarified that the incident had been resolved on the spot.