KLIK SAJA - Approximately a week after both sides settled for draws in their opening matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, New Zealand and Egypt will face off at BC Place on Sunday, each aiming to secure all three points and strengthen their chances of reaching the knockout stage.
Both nations are still searching for their first-ever World Cup victory. In their Group G openers, they each held the lead at different stages but were ultimately unable to see the game out.
Now, both teams will be hoping to end that long wait by overcoming their respective opponent.
Ahead of their clash with Iran, only one player in New Zealand's squad had scored more than 10 international goals for the All Whites.
That statistic raised concerns about where the goals would come from, given the team's long-standing reliance on Chris Wood.
The Nottingham Forest striker arrived at the World Cup with an impressive tally of 45 international goals.
However, Elijah Just quickly provided an answer. Just seven minutes into the match, he opened the scoring and registered his 10th goal for the national team.
After Iran equalized in the 30th minute, Just restored New Zealand's lead in the 54th minute with his second goal of the game.
Unfortunately for the Oceania representatives, they were unable to hold on as Mohammad Mohebi struck an equalizer for Iran just 10 minutes later.
The 2-2 draw extended New Zealand's unbeaten run to four World Cup matches.
However, all four games have ended in draws, spanning their appearances at the 2010 and 2026 World Cups.
Despite that, the All Whites will feel they are edging closer to the elusive World Cup victory they have long sought after producing an encouraging display in their first World Cup match in 16 years.
Egypt may be feeling similar frustration heading into this contest in Vancouver. They also came agonizingly close to claiming their first World Cup victory when they faced Belgium in their opening Group G encounter.
A stunning strike from Emam Ashour in the 20th minute, following a pass from birthday celebrant Mohamed Salah, gave Hossam Hassan's side an early advantage.