Men's Olympic Football 2012: Egypt vs. New Zealand Recap; 1-1 Draw Keeps Both Teams Alive

Egypt's Ahmed Hegazi (L) and Mahmoud Alaa Eldin (R) challenge New Zealand's Chris Wood for the ball during their men's Group C football match at the London 2012 Olympic Games in Old Trafford, Manchester, northern England July 29, 2012. (Photo : REUTERS/Andrea Comas)

Egypt and New Zealand kept their dreams of the quarter-finals alive with a 1-1 draw on Sunday.

After losses in the opening matches, both squads came out aggressively. Egypt was the better of the two squads throughout the contest, but it was the Kiwis who found the back of the net first.

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In the 16^th minute, a corner was headed by Tommy Smith over to Chris Wood who tapped the ball into the net despite failing to make precise contact with the sphere.

The moment that should have deflated the Pharaohs only seemed to ignite them more. With just five minutes remaining in the half, a Mohammed Aboutrika cross found Mohamed Salah, who beat his defender to the ball and tied the match up at one.

The second half saw more Egyptian domination with the occasional Kiwi chance. In all, Egypt took 22 shots on net, of which only eight found the net. The Kiwis meanwhile only had four shots on goal and only two reached the target.

Both teams are in desperate need of a win in their second match. Egypt has more control over their destiny as a win over Belarus puts them through. The Kiwis need a Belarusian tie with Egypt and a one goal win over Brazil to get through. An Egyptian win would also put them through, but would necessitate more than a one goal win from the Kiwis against the Samba Kings.