A promising start for the Pharaohs + France vs. Senegal tonight

⚽ A promising start for the national team. Egypt held Belgium to a draw on Monday in the opening round of the World Cup, with the Pharaohs taking the lead through an Emam Ashour goal in the 20th minute, before a Mohamed Hany own goal leveled things up seconds after Romelu Lukaku came on as a substitute in the 66th minute.

The match also marked the debut of rising Barcelona star Hamza Abdelkarim, who came on as a substitute for Salah and became the youngest Egyptian player (18 years old) to play for the national team at a World Cup.

Draws all around in Group G: New Zealand and Iran played out a 1-1 draw, leaving all four teams with a single point — and raising hopes that the Pharaohs can make the most of their remaining two fixtures against Iran and New Zealand to secure a spot in the next round.

ALSO- During the only Group H match played Monday evening, Spain and Cape Verde drew 0-0.

On our radar today:

All eyes turn to MetLife Stadium tonight, where France and Senegal kick off their Group I campaigns. Kickoff is at 10pm Cairo time on beIN Sports MAX 1. The fixture revisits their opening match at the 2002 World Cup, when the Lions of Teranga stunned France — the reigning champions — 1-0. France, runners-up at the 2022 World Cup and champions in 2018, enter as one of the title favorites, with Mbappé boasting the most goals of any player across the last two editions of the tournament.

Three Arab games, one night: Three matches featuring Arab national teams kick off tomorrow morning — Iraq faces Norway at 1am on beIN Sports MAX 2, Algeria takes on Argentina at 4am on beIN Sports MAX 1, and Jordan meets Austria at 7am on beIN Sports MAX 2.

Worth knowing: VOX Cinemas is offering a big-screen World Cup experience — check the booking schedule to catch matches live at the cinema.

**Don’t miss out on the fierce competition in the EnterpriseAM Fantasy World Cup — click this link or use the code 2CUFGASD to join.