Seattle: Egypt achieved a landmark milestone on Friday by qualifying for the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in the nation’s history after finishing second in Group G with five points.

The Pharaohs made a dream start as tournament debutant Mahmoud Saber found the back of the net in the fifth minute. Former Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah played a key role in the move before Saber’s powerful follow-up effort slipped between the legs of Iranian goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand.

Iran responded quickly through Ramin Rezaeian, who equalised in the 14th minute after following up on a saved effort from Egyptian goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir.

Shobeir had earlier produced a crucial penalty save after defender Mohamed Abdel Moneim conceded a spot-kick following a challenge on Mehdi Taremi, keeping Egypt’s early advantage intact.

The match reached a dramatic climax in stoppage time when Shoja Khalilzadeh appeared to have scored the winner for Iran in the 93rd minute. However, the goal was disallowed after a VAR review confirmed an offside infringement, denying Iran a place in the knockout rounds.

The draw saw Egypt finish second in Group G with five points, behind Belgium on goal difference after the group winners thrashed New Zealand 5-1. Egypt’s campaign included their first-ever World Cup victory, a second-round win over New Zealand.

Iran ended the group stage with three points from three draws, while New Zealand finished bottom with one point, as both sides were eliminated from the tournament.

The result marks Egypt’s greatest achievement at the World Cup, with the four-time participants reaching the knockout stage for the first time in their history.