Haitham Hassan, the Egyptian national team player, expressed his great happiness with the qualification, confirming that what has been achieved is a historical achievement credited to everyone.
Haitham Hassan
Club: Real Oviedo
The Egyptian national team qualified for the round of 16 of the World Cup after achieving victory against Australia on penalties after a draw in regular and extra time with one goal for each team.
Haitham Hassan said via beIN Sports: "The dream has come true and we made history with the Egyptian national team, reaching this stage is a great honor for all of us."
He continued, "The Egyptian fans deserve the joy, and I fully realize that everyone who participated in this edition was striving to honor their country. We cannot forget the role of the fans, they are the foundation of this joy and supported us strongly."
He added, "The coach told us before the penalty shootout to stay calm."
He concluded his talk about his preferred opponent in the next round, "Whether Argentina or Cape Verde, we respect everyone. Now we celebrate, and starting tomorrow we will begin good preparation for the next match and will be ready for any opponent."
The Egyptian national team qualified for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup finals at the expense of Australia, achieving the best achievement in the history of Egyptian football globally.
The Egyptian national team defeated Australia 4-2 in the penalty shootout, after the regular time and extra time ended in a draw with one goal for each team at the Dallas stadium.
Imam Ashour scored the goal for the Egyptian national team, while Mohamed Hani scored the equalizer for Australia by mistake in his own goal.
With this victory, Egypt awaits the winner between Argentina and Cape Verde shortly to face them in the round of 16 next Tuesday at 7 PM at the "Atlanta" stadium.
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