Mohamed Salah stands between Australia and a place in the World Cup last 16, as Egypt's talisman seeks to cement his legacy by leading his nation to unprecedented success. The Pharaohs, who have never won a knockout match at a World Cup, face the Socceroos in Vancouver with a spot in the round of 16 on the line.
Salah's historic pursuit
Salah scored Egypt's go-ahead goal in a 3-1 win over New Zealand, moving within one of Hossam Hassan's national record of 69 goals. Hassan, now Egypt's coach, said: "The most important thing is that we win. If [Salah] scores those goals, it's good for Egypt, and good for me personally."
The victory over New Zealand was Egypt's first ever World Cup win, sparking celebrations in Cairo where fans brought traffic to a standstill. "Egyptians always knew that in past World Cups ... we always had the idea that the team has what it takes to get through the group stage," said Saher Ahmed, a journalist with Egyptian football website KingFut. "But somehow we never do."
International near misses
Salah, with 119 caps, has never won the Africa Cup of Nations, debuting a year after Egypt's 2010 triumph. "People still look at certain players who played for the 2006, 2008 and 2010 teams, and they're confused as to why ... Salah – who has had a much better club career – hasn't been able to do half of what they did," Ahmed said. "Salah is obviously the best player ever to play for this national team, but not with this national team."
This World Cup campaign, likely Salah's last, carries extra weight. He has already contributed a goal and an assist, and his corner set up Trezeguet's header against New Zealand.
Tactical shift and injury concerns
Salah has adopted a more central role, playing off Omar Marmoush or Trezeguet. Hassan noted: "I think it's a new version of Mo Salah at the moment. He plays very freely in a very creative way." However, concern arose when Salah was substituted against Iran with a hamstring issue, icing the area. He later participated in training, easing fears of a serious injury.
Ahmed said: "Hardcore fans who watch the sport a lot were worried, but [other] people don't have that much anticipation that Egypt is going to go through."
Achievement already secured
Regardless of the outcome against Australia, Ahmed believes Egypt's campaign is a success. "We already made history," he said. "[The Socceroos match] is more than a bonus game, but it's also a bit, 'at least we finally did that.'"
Victory would set up a likely clash against holders Argentina. For Salah, equalling Hassan's record would be a personal milestone, but a deep run would enhance his standing among Egyptian greats, even without an Afcon title.
