Volgograd: Midfielder Salem Al-Dawsari struck an injury-time goal as Saudi Arabia edged past Egypt 2-1 in the third and final Group A match of the ongoing 21st edition of the FIFA World Cup here at the Volgograd Arena on Monday.
Heading into the clash, Egypt had lost to hosts Russia by 1-3 and two-time winners Uruguay by 0-1 in their opening two encounters.
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Walking on the same lines, Saudi Arabia were also without a win in the World Cup prior to this match.
However, sixty seventh-ranked Saudi Arabia finally managed to break their deadlock in the tournament and earn three points with a win over 45th-placed Egypt.
Though it was Saudi Arabia who dominated the proceedings in the early minutes of the match, Egypt were the one to draw the first blood via forward Mohamed Salah.
Salah collected a good long pass from midfielder Abdallah Said and tapped it over the advancing goalkeeper to put his side ahead in the 22nd minute.
In the 41st minute of the match, Saudi Arabia missed a great chance to score an equalizer when Egypt’s 45-year-old keeper Essam El Hadary came up with a spectacular effort to save Fahad Al Mulwallad’s penalty-kick.
However, in the three minute of added time in the first-half, Salman Al Faraj converted a penalty corner into a goal to help Saudi Arabia level the scoreline at half-time break.
In the 57th minute, Egypt midfielder David Trezeguet had a great chance to put his side ahead when he jumped and unleashed a header, but it went wide of the far post.
The rest of the second-half went with both sides trying hard to find the goal and put themselves ahead, before four minutes of injury time were added.
And it was Salem Al Dawsari who scored the winner for Saudi Arabia when he drilled the ball into the far left corner with the last kick of the game.
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With the win over Egypt, Saudi Arabia finished at the third spot in Group A.
However, the two sides will still have to head home as they had lost their opening two matches of the showpiece event.
In another Group A clash, Uruguay swept aside Russia 3-0 at the Samara Arena to finish the group stage as leaders while the hosts slumped to their first defeat of the tournament.