Egypt Find Their Range in Vancouver, Sink New Zealand 3-1

New Zealand could scarcely have asked for a better opening at BC Place, striking first and setting a tempo that briefly suggested an upset was within reach. For a spell the All Whites pressed with conviction, and their early goal lent the contest an edge that the neutral crowd in Vancouver plainly relished.

Egypt, however, refused to be hurried. Composed once the initial storm had passed, they gradually assumed possession and turned it into pressure, drawing level before the interval and then pulling clear after the restart. The turning point was less a single moment than a steady accumulation, the sort of measured response that separates a settled side from an anxious one.

The second half belonged to Egypt. Their two further goals reflected patience rewarded, as New Zealand's early industry gave way to fatigue and gaps that were duly punished. The 3-1 margin was a fair reflection of a match that shifted decisively once Egypt found their range and held it.

The result leaves Egypt in far better health after their second group-stage fixture, with momentum restored and qualification back within their own control. New Zealand, by contrast, are left to reflect on a bright beginning that could not be sustained, and on the fine margins that turned an encouraging start into a testing afternoon.