2026 World Cup: Cape Verde’s fairy tale continues, and Salah shines as well
Egypt came from behind to defeat New Zealand and secure a crucial victory on Matchday 2 of Group G at the 2026 World Cup. In Vancouver, the North Africans won 3-1 after falling behind in the first half. New Zealand took the lead in the 14th minute on a goal by Surman, but the Egyptian team stepped up their game in the second half: Ziko scored the equalizer in the 58th minute, Salah completed the comeback in the 67th minute, and Hassan sealed the victory in the 82nd minute. Salah played a decisive role, scoring one goal and providing one assist.
In Group H, meanwhile, the match between Uruguay and Cape Verde in Miami ended in a 2-2 draw. The Africans opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a goal by Kevin Pina, but Uruguay turned the tables late in the first half thanks to goals by Maximiliano Araujo in the 44th minute and Agustin Canobbio in the 45th minute plus 6 seconds. In the second half, however, Cape Verde tied the game for good with a goal by Varela in the 61st minute, securing their second consecutive draw in the tournament after their opening match against Spain.
Egypt pulled off a comeback victory, defeating New Zealand 3-1 and reviving its World Cup hopes. After a difficult start, the North Africans rallied in the second half, led by Mohamed Salah. The All Blacks took the lead through Surman, who capitalized on an assist from Payne to beat Shobeir. New Zealand nearly doubled their lead, while Egypt struggled to create dangerous chances.
After the break, the game took a different turn. In the 58th minute, Mostafa Ziko equalized at 1-1 off an assist from Mohamed Hany, sparking the comeback. Nine minutes later, Salah put Egypt ahead, finishing off an assist from Ziko himself. With New Zealand pushing forward in search of the equalizer, the Egyptians struck again in the 82nd minute: Hassan scored the final goal to make it 3-1, sealing a match that had seemed in jeopardy after the first half.
Uruguay recorded its second consecutive draw; after a 1-1 tie with Saudi Arabia, it could not go beyond a 2-2 draw against a brilliant Cape Verde. The Africans built on the strong performance they showed in their opening match and earned another valuable point. Kevin Pina broke the deadlock in the 21st minute, scoring Cape Verde’s first-ever goal in a World Cup final tournament. Uruguay responded and turned the score around late in the first half: Araujo tied the game at 1-1 in the 44th minute, then provided the assist for Canobbio’s 2-1 goal in stoppage time.
In the second half, however, Marcelo Bielsa’s team was unable to hold onto its lead. A defensive error allowed Varela to score the equalizer in the 61st minute, making it 2-2. This result complicates Uruguay’s path, as they must now secure a positive result in their final group stage match against Spain, while Cape Verde continues to harbor real hopes of qualifying.
