Egypt will head into the halftime break with a slender 1-0 lead over Belgium after a disciplined and determined first-half display, with Emma Ashour’s 19th-minute strike proving the difference between the two sides.
The Pharaohs capitalized on one of their best attacking moves of the opening period when Mohamed Salah turned provider. The Egyptian captain picked out Ashour with a perfectly weighted pass, and the forward made no mistake, shooting to put Egypt ahead and spark celebrations among the Egyptian supporters.
Buoyed by the breakthrough, Egypt continued to threaten on the counterattack and came close to doubling their advantage before the interval. Omar Marmoush found himself in a promising position after a blinder by the Belgian defense, but his effort was brilliantly denied by Belgian goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who produced an important save to keep his side within touching distance.
Belgium struggled to find their rhythm for large spells of the half but nearly grabbed an equalizer in the closing moments. Jeremy Doku found space inside the Egyptian half unleashing an attempt at goal. However, the winger’s effort sailed over the crossbar, much to the relief of the Egyptian players and fans.
With Ashour’s goal separating the teams after 45 minutes, Egypt takes a deserved 1-0 lead into the recess, while Belgium will be looking for a stronger response in the second half to revive their hopes of getting something from the contest.
