Egypt had just scored an equaliser in their Group G clash with minnows New Zealand.
The underdogs were looking to freshen up their options to prevent a second sucker punch with a substitution in the wake of the goal.
Ben Old had only just come on to replace Callum McCowatt in attack, when he felt he was fouled near the opposition box.
Nothing was given and Egypt began to counter-attack, but Old was not able to keep up with play after suffering a bizarre wardrobe malfunction.
The star was taken off the pitch, leaving his side a man down, because his shorts had developed a massive hole in the front in a rather intimate spot.
Talisman Salah then used the extra space from the Kiwis being a man down to burst into the box and smash an effort into the bottom left corner to give his side a crucial advantage in the contest.
Old was forced to change his kit on the sidelines as he watched the former Liverpool man celebrate scoring what could have been the decisive goal in the hunt for Egypt’s first-ever World Cup win.
‘Kiwis unable to deny wave’
Jonathan Howcroft, The Guardian
Disappointment for New Zealand, who threw away a lead for the third time this World Cup and are still searching for their maiden win at the finals. But the lowest-ranked team in North America simply ran out of steam in the second half and lacked the nous to work their way out of it.
That was a game of two halves in Vancouver. The first belonged to New Zealand who found plenty of joy with their long ball game targeting the strength of Chris Wood and the industry of Eli Just and Callum McCowatt.
But after the interval Mohamed Salah moved infield, Emam Ashour became influential, and the Kiwis were unable to deny wave after wave of Egyptian pressure. The stodgy ball movement of the first half was replaced by decisive attacking and it was no surprise when Mostafa Ziko headed them level and Salah sidefooted them ahead. Trezeguet sealed the deal unmarked from a corner.
Mohamed Salah of Egypt celebrates scoring against the All Whites. Photo / Getty Images
‘Could not withstand the pressure’
Ben Nagle, Daily Mail
Egypt survived a scare to come from behind and beat New Zealand, with Mohamed Salah‘s second-half goal enough to seal his country’s first ever win at the World Cup.
The lowest-ranked team in the tournament threatened a huge shock in the first half when Finn Surman – who plays his club football for Portland Timbers in MLS – rose highest to power home a header.
New Zealand held on to their lead for the rest of the first half, but could not withstand the pressure for the entirety of the game, with Mostafa Ziko levelling just before the hour mark.
‘It’s been a while’
Michael Bailey, The Athletic
No goals at this World Cup so far for New Zealand’s all-time goalscorer and appearance-maker, Chris Wood.
Having been unbeaten through all three group games at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, despite going out at that stage, it means this was New Zealand’s first World Cup defeat since their debut at Spain 1982, 44 years ago.
The All Whites are also still searching for their first World Cup win.
‘Oh, ref!’
Jason Pine, Newstalk ZB
Pinpointing officials after defeats always smacks of sour grapes, but the fact is referee Omar Alali had a poor game. His inconsistent rulings were the source of growing frustration for New Zealand’s players and coaching staff and are still hard to fathom. Ryan Nelsen’s iconic 2010 line about the referee having “stars in his eyes” when the All Whites played Italy could equally apply here.
‘Dreams die hard’
Michael Burgess, NZ Herald
Dreams die hard for the All Whites.
This will take a long time to get over – perhaps years.
Once again, New Zealand had a ticket to the knockout stages at this Fifa World Cup in their grasp, only to have it ripped away.
In the end, Egypt were too good, too fast and too slick. They fully deserved their 3-1 win, which showed the gulf between the two nations, with a ranking disparity of almost 60 places.