Australia faces a straightforward task as coach Tony Popovic has opted for the same starting lineup that played against Paraguay.
In contrast, Egypt has made five adjustments from the team that drew 1-1 with Iran. Notably, Mo Salah will be on the pitch despite concerns regarding his hamstring. He will lead the attack alongside Omar Marmoush, with defenders Yasser Ibrahim and Karim Hafez, as well as midfielders Hamdy Fathy and Marwan Attia all being introduced into the lineup. Trézéguet and Mahmoud Saber have been relegated to the bench, while Mohamed Abdelmonem, Ahmed Fatouh, and Mohanad Lasheen will not participate.
Australia’s starting XI includes: Beach, Circati, Souttar, Herrington, Bos, O’Neill, Irvine, Behich, Volpato, Metcalfe, and Irankunda. The substitutes are Ryan, Izzo, Degenek, Geria, Toure, Hrustic, Mabil, Devlin, Trewin, Burgess, Velupillay, and Okon-Engstler.
Egypt will field: Shobeir, Hany, Rabia, Ibrahim, Hafez, Fathi, Attia, Ashour, Salah, Ziko, and Marmoush, with their bench consisting of El Shenawy, Soliman, Mohamed Alaa, Abdelmaguid, Trezeguet, Abdelkarim, Hassan, Emad, Adel, Saber, Tarek Alaa, and Zizo.
The match will be officiated by Gustavo Tejera from Uruguay.
This encounter marks the first competitive clash between these two nations, although Egypt previously secured a 3-0 victory in a friendly match in Cairo back in 2010. Scorers that day included Gedo, who had netted the winning goal in that year’s Africa Cup of Nations final, and Mohamed Zidan, who provided an assist. But I digress.
Egypt advanced from Group G without a loss, although they were fortunate to secure their position against Iran toward the end of the match.
Similarly, Australia navigated through Group D, showcasing resilience particularly in their opening match against one of the pre-tournament favorites.
Reflecting on their past performances, Australia has reached the knockout stage twice before, in 2006 and 2022, but unfortunately lost their opening match on both occasions to the eventual champions, Italy and Argentina respectively. This year, however, presents a unique opportunity; either the Socceroos will win their first knockout game, or if they face defeat once more, the odds of 500-1 for the Pharaohs to win the tournament certainly raise eyebrows.
While Australia’s progression from Group D was not particularly impressive, with a 2-0 win over an underperforming Turkey, a 2-0 loss to the USA, and a goalless draw against Paraguay, they managed to qualify. Conversely, even though this iteration of Egypt may not be the strongest, the seven-time African champions have Mo Salah ready for what could be a triumphant finale. Their advancement to the knockout stage for the first time in four attempts has sparked enthusiasm that the Socceroos lack.
Ultimately, this matchup is too close to predict. One of these teams will etch their name in history today by securing their inaugural World Cup knockout victory, potentially setting up a clash with reigning champions Argentina in the Round of 16. A significant prize is at stake, so may the superior team triumph. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 PM local time, 2 PM EDT, 7 PM BST, and 4 AM AEST. Let the match begin!
