# Sports

2018 FIFA World Cup | Can Mohamed Salah help Egypt break the duck?

Mohamed Salah in focus as Egypt takes on Russia.

Basit Aijaz | New Delhi | June 19, 2018 6:52 pm

2018 FIFA World Cup | Can Mohamed Salah help Egypt break the duck?

As Mohamed Salah will enter the field in Krestovsky Stadium, the hopes of more than 95 million people will be pinned on the shoulders of the ‘Egyptian king’.

There will be cheers, excitement, prayers, and optimism when Salah walks out on the pitch. He will enter to change history. He will enter to make his mark. Egypt hasn’t won a single game at the World Cup, and the little wizard will look to erase that unwanted record. They won’t have it any easy, though. After a 5-0 win in the opener, and with fans behind them, Russia will provide a daunting challenge.

Egypt’s first appearance in the World Cup was way back in 1934, when their only game at the tournament yielded a 2-4 defeat at the hands of Hungary. Their next appearance came at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. In the three group-stage games, they drew two and lost the other to finish last in their group. Incidentally, their last appearance 56 years ago too came in Italy, the nation that hosted the 1934 edition.

On Tuesday, Egypt will be looking to change that. With Mohamed Salah in their ranks, they will feel everything is possible. The stakes are high for both the sides, and it promises to be a belter of a game. There will be no shortage of drama. The stage is set for Mohamed Salah to dazzle and he will be hungry, having missed the first game through injury. A loss would most definitely mean the end of the road for the African nation, but a win will give them every chance to make it to the knockout phase of the tournament.

Mohamed Salah will have everyone glued to their television sets, and he must show us why.