VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In a historic moment for Egypt, Mohamed Salah scored a dramatic, 67th-minute go-ahead goal to help deliver his country a come-from-behind 3-1 win and a first World Cup victory in its footballing history.New Zealand took an early lead thanks to an athletic Finn Surman header in the first half. At the same time, Egypt looked dreadful moving forward while New Zealand’s energy was contagious.But the script flipped in the second half as Egypt pushed forward in a dramatic way. The Pharaohs netted two goals in nine minutes to give them a lead they would not relinquish. One more second-half goal was enough to send thousands of ecstatic Egyptian fans in Vancouver into raptures — and Egypt to the top of the Group G table.Our writers break down the key talking points from BC Place:After scoring two goals at the 2018 World Cup, Mohamed Salah is on the board in 2026 (Jared C. Tilton / FIFA / Getty Images)It had to be Mo SalahThe weight of Egyptian football history has always been held against Salah because of the country’s success in the years before he made his international debut.Unlike the players that were so successful between 2006 and 2010, winning three Africa Cup of Nations titles, Salah has not won one, and despite scoring the goals that have propelled Egypt into two World Cups, Egypt had never won a game in the competition.In Vancouver, Salah helped change that, sliding Egypt into a lead against New Zealand following a resurgent second-half performance.There is a sense Salah’s legs won’t move as quickly as he wants them to sometimes these days and Egypt are using him differently at this tournament. Rather than play off the right as he did so successfully for so long at Liverpool, he has operated centrally, which manager Hossam Hassan thinks potentially increases his involvement.Against Belgium in the opening game, the ploy worked because Egypt’s opponent defended high and the game was open. New Zealand was a totally different challenge for Egypt, especially after scoring first. A big, physical, organised team subsequently sat deep in the first half and tried to hit Egypt on the counter attack.In a crowded midfield, Salah struggled to create space for himself. At Liverpool he has developed the idea over the last few years that eventually he’ll find a way to influence what’s happening because of his experience. Without the same levels of quality supporting him, however, he could not afford to stand around, waiting for the game to come to him.Hassan switched things around in the second half, with Salah pushing higher, more or less as a centre forward. The trick worked – with Emam Ashour, more naturally a midfielder, offering more cover defensively, Egypt’s full backs were able to attack more. Their equaliser on Mostafa Ziko’s header came from Mohamed Hany’s cross, and Salah, now tasked with finishing chances rather than creating them, soon swept them into a lead.