Mo Salah strike not enough as Saudi Arabia stun Egypt with last-gasp winner

Updated 25/06/2018 at 17:38 GMT

World Cup, Group A – Saudi Arabia 2 (Al-Faraj 45’ pen, Al-Dawsari 90'+5) Egypt 1 (Salah 22’)

Egypt's forward Mohamed Salah looks on during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group A football match between Saudi Arabia and Egypt at the Volgograd Arena in Volgograd on June 25, 2018

Image credit: Getty Images

Mohamed Salah netted his second goal of the World Cup but Saudi Arabia scored with the last kick of the game to end their campaign with a 2-1 win over Egypt.

Salah, who is at the centre of reports that he is quitting international football, was initially left out of the starting line-up but was later reinstated after an apparent human error.

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And the Liverpool forward opened the scoring after running onto Abdallah Elsaid's long ball to lob the keeper with a fine finish.

After Salah should have made it 2-0 from close range, the Pharaohs were on the back foot and conceded a controversial penalty when Ahmed Fathy was penalised for handball.

But 45-year-old goalkeeper Essam El Hadary, the oldest ever player to feature in a World Cup finals, was the hero after producing a stunning save to keep out Fahad Al-Muwallad's spot kick.

Saudi continued to dominate and were awarded a second penalty in stoppage time after a shirt pull by Ali Gabr. After a three-minute delay due to a VAR review, Salman Al-Faraj stepped up to score.

Hector Cuper’s side were lacklustre in the second period and had veteran El Hadary to thank to keep out headers from Hussain and substitute Yahya Alshehri.

But Saudi clinched a deserved victory in the 95th minute in the desert derby through Salem Al-Dawsari's well taken strike from a tight angle to end their campaign on a bright note.

TALKING POINT

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The build-up to the game saw the Egyptian FA deny reports Salah was on the verge of quitting after cryptic tweets from his agent over criticism the Liverpool player has received.

He was then omitted from the line-up for the game but later reinstated. Salah performed well in the first half and scored a sublime goal but his celebration was muted.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Essam El Hadary (Egypt): The 45-year-old record-breaker produced a stunning save to push Fahad’s penalty onto the bar. And he was at his best again in the second half to tip over Hussain’s header to prove age is but a number.

PLAYER RATINGS

SAUDI ARABIA: Almosailem 5, Osama 6, Alburayk 5, Salman 7, Hatan 6, Yasser 5, Otayf 4, Hussain 5, Salem 7, Fahad 6, Motaz 5. Subs: Assiri 5, Alshehri n/a,

EGYPT: El Hadary 9, Fathy 6, Gabr 6, Hegazy 6, Abdelshafy 5, Elneny 4, Hamed 4, Salah 7, Elsaid 6, Treziguet 6, Mohsen 5. Subs: Warda 5, Sobhi 5, Kahraba n/a.

KEY MOMENTS:

22’ - GOAL FOR SALAH! He runs onto a long ball, controls it sublimely and lofts it over the keeper from the edge of the box.

24’ - SALAH PUTS IT WIDE! Egypt break after Motaz gives it away, Treziguet threads it through to Salah who tries a cheeky dink which goes wide.

33’ - CLOSE! Treziguet trades passes with Salah before curling in a half volley which flies over from just inside the area. The pass from Salah was sublime.

40’ - PENALTY TO SAUDI! Fateh is penalised for blocking a cross with his arm which was not up in the air, that was a bit harsh. Fahad's fierce effort is brilliantly palmed onto the woodwork, great stop from the 45-year-old!

45’+6 - GOAL FOR SAUDI ARABIA! Salman calmly strokes the ball into the left corner and sends the keeper the wrong way to make it 1-1.

69’ - GOOD SAVE! Al Faraj's cross is headed towards goal by Hussain and the keeper tips it over the bar. From the corner, Hamed loses his man and Assiri's header is parried by the veteran keeper.

90’+ 5 - GOAL FOR SAUDI! With perhaps the last kick of the game Salem lashes the ball into the bottom corner from a tight angle.