Wow. What a night that was for us. I saw it all happen right at the end, the ball finding our captain Mo Salah in the box. He just has a way, you know? Scoring when we need it most to beat Zimbabwe 2-1. Everyone just exploded with happiness after.
It didn’t start so good for our team, to be honest. We were suppose to be the favorites, everyone says that. But football is funny. Zimbabwe scored first and it was a real surprise, making things quiet for a while. Their player Prince Dube got it, a real shock in the first half. Our coach said later he wasn’t surprised it was tough. “Every team here fights,” he told people, which is true.
For a long time, we had the ball but nothing really happened with it. Felt kinda frustrating watching. Then in the second half, Omar Marmoush changed everything. He took a shot from far out and my goodness, what a hit that was. The goalkeeper had no chance at all. That goal made everyone believe again, you could feel it shift.
The game was almost ending, thinking maybe it’s just a draw. But then, there he is. Salah got the ball in a crowded place, so many legs everywhere. But his control is different. He just made a little space and shot it low, right into the corner. The stadium, it just went completely loud and crazy. I’ll never forget that noise.
“Scoring for your country, it’s a special feeling always,” Salah said after, looking pretty pleased. “We didn’t give up even when it was hard.” You could see how much it meant to all the players hugging him afterwards.
For Zimbabwe, it must feel really bad. Their captain said it was “heartbreaking” to lose so late, which I can understand. They played a really strong game and made us worry.
This win is a big start for us, getting three points straight away. It builds the spirit, like the coach said. These kind of games that you win at the very end, it makes a team feel more together and strong. Now we look to the next game against South Africa. After a night like this, you just feel like anything is possible for Egypt.
The noise in the stands after the whistle, it was something else. A mix of singing and relief, you could smell the dust and night air. Someone’s scarf got lost in the celebrating and was waving from a lower railing. It’s in moments like that you remember football is more than just a game, it’s a shared heartbeat for so many.
Back in the dressing room area, the mood was still buzzing. I heard a staff member saying the coach just smiled quietly, not giving any big speech. Sometimes a win says everything you need. You could hear the players still laughing, the sound of ice packs and chairs scraping, a real tired but happy kind of noise.
Later, in the city, you’d see little pockets of red and white. Car horns beeping in a rhythm, not even annoyed. A group of fans sharing tea at a roadside stall, just going over the goal again and again like they were trying to taste it. That’s when a victory really settles, not on the pitch but in the ordinary streets.
For Zimbabwe, their coach talked about a small mistake in positioning, that one of their defenders was just a step too far forward at the end. It’s incredible, really, how a whole match can turn on just a single step. They played with so much courage but football, it doesn’t always pay that back.
I think about Salah sometimes, what he must feel. He carries a whole country’s hope every time he puts on that shirt. After the interviews, I saw him walk back toward the bus, just a man looking at his phone, probably messages from family. From a hero to a regular person in just a few quiet steps.
Looking ahead now, this win gives us air to breathe. South Africa will be watching this and they’ll see our spirit, but also maybe they see spaces we left open. It’s a good start, but it’s only a start. The tournament is long and hot and full of turns. For tonight, though, we sleep happy.
