🎥 Cape Verde close, 2-2 with Uruguay! Salah sends Egypt top 👑 | OneFootball

Cape Verde continues to impress and, after holding Spain, also snatches a draw against Uruguay led by Loco Bielsa, moving closer to a qualification that — as well as historic — would be sensational.

A point against Saudi Arabia could be enough for the African side to reach the next round, while Uruguay will be forced to put everything on the line against the reigning European champions. Not exactly a walk in the park.

Bielsa’s team approached the match aggressively, but Cape Verde’s personality showed in possession, managing to limit La Celeste’s threat. Then, in the 21st minute, they even took the lead through Kevin Pina’s fierce free-kick strike, which caught a culpable Muslera by surprise from distance, betrayed by his own wall as it opened up and let the ball go straight through the middle. It was Cape Verde’s first-ever goal at a World Cup.

Uruguay’s response, however, was fierce. Before the end of the first half, Bielsa’s side landed a devastating one-two that turned everything around: in the 43rd minute Araujo tapped in after former Juve man Bentancur hit the post, while in the 45th+6 minute Canobbio completed the comeback with a poacher’s finish from another Araujo knockdown to make it 2-1.

Game over? Not at all, because in the second half — with the South Americans in control — a serious mistake by Olivera reopened the contest: in the 60th minute Helio Varela intercepted Olivera’s misplaced pass and beat Muslera, who had come off his line in a move that was, to say the least, rash.

In the closing stages, Uruguay threw everything at it, coming within inches of retaking the lead again through Araujo, but an offside at the start of the corner led to the disallowing of what might have been the winning goal. The result rewards Cape Verde’s bravery: still unbeaten and ever closer to a historic milestone. For Uruguay, meanwhile, qualification is now seriously in doubt.

New Zealand-Egypt 1-3

Egypt claimed the first World Cup win in its history, coming from behind against New Zealand and moving to the top of the group ahead of Belgium and Iran. A crucial success for the Pharaohs, who are now close to qualification for the round of 32. A positive result against Iran will be enough for Hassan’s side to be certain of progressing, while New Zealand will have to beat Belgium to keep their hopes alive.

The match proved more complicated than expected for the Egyptians. The All Whites played an excellent first half, taking the lead through a Surman header from a corner taken by Payne. Organized and brave, the New Zealanders caused Egypt plenty of problems, while Egypt struggled to respond and created few chances before the break.

In the second half, though, the game changed. Egypt raised the tempo and pinned their opponents back in their own half. The equalizer came through Zico, who did well to head home a cross from Hany. Shortly afterward, Zico himself provided the assist for Momo Salah, who completed the comeback to make it 2-1 and score his 68th goal for the national team.

With New Zealand now struggling, Egypt kept attacking and put the game to bed thanks to Trezeguet, who came off the bench and scored the final 3-1 from a corner delivered by Salah.

After coming close to a shocking elimination, the Pharaohs can now almost touch the dream of qualification. New Zealand leave defeated, but with the awareness that they fought beyond all expectations against technically superior opponents.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

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