Soccer Football - World Cup - Egypt Training - Volgograd Arena, Volgograd, Russia - June 24, 2018 Egypt's Mohamed Salah, Ahmed Fathy and team mates during training REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino
CAIRO – 25 June 2018: Egypt will face Saudi Arabia in their last game at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The game is set to be played in Volgograd Arena on Monday at 4 p.m.
Both teams could not meet their fans’ expectations as they were eliminated from the first round of the tournament after losing their first two games; the two teams hope to reconcile their fans with a victory before leaving Russia.
— Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs) June 23, 2018
Egyptian players are searching for their first victory at the tournament as Egypt played six games at the World Cup, lost four games and ended two games with a draw.
Since the World Cup draw put Egypt at the same group alongside Saudi Arabia, Egyptian fans are seeking revenge to their humiliating 5-1 loss to Saudi Arabia at the 1999 FIFA Confederation Cup in Mexico.
Egyptian veteran goalkeeper, Essam el-Hadary, who started the tournament as Egypt’s second choice goalkeeper, is expected to feature in the game against Saudi Arabia. If this happens, Hadary, who turned 45 last January, will be the oldest player ever to participate in a game at the World Cup.
— Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs) June 21, 2018
Saudi Arabia are used to playing against Arab teams at the World Cup, as Arab teams have only faced each other in the World Cup on two occasions before and Saudi Arabia was involved in both games.
The first game between two Arab teams was in the 1994 World Cup in the USA where Saudi Arabia played against Morocco in the group stage.
The draw put the Arab teams alongside Belgium and Netherlands in Group F.
Saudi Arabia won the game 2-1 thanks to two goals from Sami el-Jaber and Fouad Anwar, while the Moroccan goal came from Mohammed Chaouch.
Twelve years later, Saudi Arabia opened their participation at the 2006 World Cup in Germany against Tunisia.
The draw put the Arab teams in Group H alongside Spain and Ukraine.
The tense game ended with a 2-2 draw. Tunisia opened the score through Ziad Jaziri and Saudi Arabians equalized before the half time through Yasser el-Qahtani.
Saudi Arabia scored the second goal through Jaber and Tunisians equalized before the final whistle with a strike from Radhi Jaïdi.
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