Egypt Advances to World Cup Round of 32 After 1-1 Draw With Iran

Egypt advanced to the World Cup round of 32 for the first time after a 1-1 draw with Iran on Friday in Seattle. Mahmoud Saber scored for Egypt in the fifth minute and Ramin Rezaeian equalized for Iran in the 14th minute. Mostafa Shobeir saved a penalty for Egypt in the 11th minute.

Shoja Khalilzadeh appeared to score a winning goal for Iran in the 93rd minute, but the strike was disallowed for offside. An Iranian fan rushed the field in celebration of the disallowed goal and was tackled by seven security guards. Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir preserved the draw.

Belgium defeated New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver to finish first in Group G. Egypt took second place and will play Australia in the round of 32. Iran finished third and must wait until Saturday to determine whether it advances.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said the team had already secured qualification before the late disallowed goal. “We knew we had qualified already, we were sitting at the top of the group,” Hassan said. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said three Iranian goals had been disallowed by video review during the tournament.

“Technology is justice, But, I’m upset about our bad luck,” Ghalenoei said. Midfielder Rouzbeh Cheshmi said Iran could still advance on Saturday. “We’re here to make our history, too,” Cheshmi said. Egypt star Mohamed Salah left the match with a left knee injury.

Iran faced U.S. travel restrictions tied to the war in Iran. The team moved its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, Mexico, two weeks before arrival. Several officials and support staff were barred from entering the United States.

Ghalenoei said the team had to return immediately to Tijuana after the match. “We were treated very, very badly,” Ghalenoei said.