Egypt coach raises Palestinian flag after historic World Cup victory, dedicating victory to Palestinians Football News

FIFA World Cup 2026: Egypt coach raises Palestinian flag, dedicating historic R32 victory to Palestinians

Egypt head coach Hossam Hassan pays profound tribute to the Palestinian people after leading his team to reach milestone fifa world cup The Palestinian flag was raised shortly after the Pharaohs’ dramatic last-32 win over Australia.On Friday local time, the Egyptian team drew 1-1 with the Australian team in Dallas and defeated the Australian team 4-2 in the penalty shootout, entering the top 16 for the first time in history. As celebrations unfolded, Hassan held up a Palestinian flag before dedicating the historic victory to Egypt and Palestine.Speaking after the game, Hassan expressed support for the Palestinians, saying: “My heart and soul are with them,” before praying that “God have mercy on their martyrs.”“I dedicate this victory to the Egyptian people and the kind and generous Palestinian people,” he added.The victory was a historic milestone for Egypt, which advanced to the first knockout round of the World Cup for the first time.Australia threatened early, with Christian Volpato hitting the crossbar from distance within the first five minutes before Jordan Bose was denied by Rami Rabia’s timely intervention.In the 13th minute, Egypt took the lead. Karim Hafez crossed from the left and Emam Ashour’s header hit goalkeeper Patrick Beach at the far post.The Pharaohs were impressive in the first half, but Australia equalized shortly after the restart when Mohammad Khani accidentally deflected a dangerous free-kick into his own net.Both teams created chances to win the game before the penalty shootout. Beech produced a fine one-handed save to deny Rabia’s powerful header, while Hari Sutta produced a crucial block to prevent Haitham Hassan from restoring Egypt’s advantage. Mohamed Salah He also came close to shooting in overtime, but fired over the crossbar from a promising position.The winner was ultimately decided through a penalty shootout. After Soutar’s opening penalty, Australia’s penalty shot went over the crossbar, and Egypt took the initiative. Salah calmly struck Panenka, while 18-year-old Lucas Herrington missed Australia’s fourth try. Subsequently, Hossam Abdelmajid took a key penalty kick, and the penalty shootout sealed the victory 4-2, taking Egypt into the last 16.Egypt will now prepare for a last-16 tie against defending champions Argentina as their unforgettable FIFA World Cup journey continues.