Mohamed Salah and his Egypt teammates celebrated their historic World Cup knockout victory over Australia by dancing in the streets of Dallas, Texas. The Liverpool legend scored a chipped Panenka penalty in the shootout after a 1-1 draw, securing Egypt's first-ever win in a World Cup knockout match.
Salah's Decisive Penalty
Salah, who left Liverpool this summer after nine seasons, calmly converted his spot-kick past Australia goalkeeper Mat Ryan, who had been substituted on specifically for the shootout. Reflecting on his audacious penalty, Salah told reporters: "If somebody was going to do it, it would be me. I am more experienced than others, and I wanted to give them confidence. I decided [in the] last minute, I don't know if it's my last World Cup or not, but I had to do it."
Celebrations in Dallas
Egypt's official Instagram account captured the players celebrating outside the stadium in Arlington, Texas. Salah was held aloft by his teammates, still clutching the player of the match award. The victory was sealed when 18-year-old Australia defender Lucas Herrington blazed his penalty over the bar, allowing Hossam Abdelmaguid to score the winning spot-kick for Egypt.
Match Summary
The tense match had gone to penalties after a 1-1 draw. Egypt took an early lead through Emam Ashour, but Australia equalized in the second half via a Mohamed Hany own goal. Salah had been struggling with a hamstring injury in the build-up but delivered a fine performance, including his chipped penalty.
Historic Achievement
After the winning kick, Salah instantly turned to console the distraught Australia players before joining his teammates in celebration. Reflecting on the achievement, Salah said: "It's history. I told the guys before the game that this is the biggest stage you can play on, so enjoy it, and don't let the pressure get to you. I'm glad that we managed to win the game. Bad luck for them, they lost on penalties. But I'm happy that we wrote history today."
Egypt will now face Lionel Messi's Argentina and former Liverpool teammate Alexis Mac Allister in the last 16.
