Mohamed Salah has revealed the emotional pre-match rallying cry he delivered to his Egyptian teammates before their World Cup Round of 32 victory over Australia.
The Pharaohs advanced to the Round of 16 after a 1-1 draw went to a dramatic 4-2 penalty shootout.
A visibly emotional Salah, who played through a lingering hamstring strain, stepped up to score a Panenka penalty during the shootout to help seal Egypt’s passage to the next round.
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Speaking on the pitchside immediately after the final whistle, the Egyptian captain and talisman shared the exact words he used to calm his teammates’ nerves before they walked out onto the pitch for the biggest game of their lives.
“It’s history,” Salah said, battling back tears. “I told the boys before the game, Guys, this is the biggest game you could play in your life, so just enjoy it. Enjoy it and don’t let the pressure get to you and not enjoy the moment. I am glad we managed to win the game.”
The pressure on Salah was immense. Facing Australia’s veteran goalkeeper Mathew Ryan,who was subbed on specifically for the shootout,Salah chose the ultimate high-risk, high-reward move by chipping his penalty down the middle.
When asked about the audacious Panenka, Salah admitted it was a split-second decision driven by his responsibility as the team’s leader.
“If somebody was going to do it, it would be me,” Salah explained. “I am more experienced than others and I wanted to give them confidence. I decided last minute, I had to do it.”
The 34-year-old forward also hinted at the heavy personal weight he was carrying into the knockout tournament. “I didn’t know if that was my last World Cup moment or not but I had to do it.”
The match in Texas was a grueling war that lasted a full 120 minutes. Egypt took an early lead in the 13th minute when Emam Ashour rose beautifully to head home a cross from Karim Hafez, scoring the 250th goal of the tournament.
The Pharaohs held their advantage into the second half, but Australia fought back. In the 55th minute, a dangerous free-kick delivered by Aiden O’Neill was accidentally deflected into his own net by Egyptian defender Mohamed Hany, bringing the Socceroos level.
In a gamble just before the final whistle, Australian coach Tony Popovic subbed on veteran goalkeeper Mathew Ryan specifically for the spot-kicks. However, the move failed to disrupt Egypt.
While Australia’s Jackson Irvine and Awer Mabil successfully converted their penalties, the Socceroos’ resolve faltered elsewhere. Towering defender Harry Souttar saw his opening effort miss, and 18-year-old prodigy Lucas Herrington also failed to find the net..
Egypt’s nerves, by contrast, held completely steady. Mahmoud Saber and Ramy Rabia both confidently buried their chances. Then came Mohamed Salah’s ice-cool Panenka right down the middle that completely fooled Ryan and gave Egypt an edge. Moments later, substitute Hossam Abdelmaguid stepped up and buried the decisive penalty to send the North African nation into the last 16.
Salah and the Pharaohs now turn their attention to a Round of 16 clash against Lionel Messi and Argentina in Atlanta.
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