/https%3A%2F%2Fplays-central.com%2Fbetting%2Fapp%2Fthemes%2Fst-child%2Fassets%2Fimages%2Ftntsports.svg)
/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia-eurosport.s3.gra.io.cloud.ovh.net%2Fbetting%2F2026%2F06%2FNew-Zealand-vs-Egypt-TNT-Sports-UK.png)
BC Place, Vancouver (Canada)
Monday 22 June, 2am BST (Sunday 21 June, 6pm local)
Group G stands in perfect equilibrium after matchday one, with all four teams level on a single point following a pair of draws in the opening round of fixtures.
New Zealand earned a creditable 2-2 draw against Iran in Los Angeles courtesy of an Elijah Just brace, while Egypt held Belgium to 1-1 in Seattle through Emam Ashour's long-range strike before Mohamed Hany's own goal levelled the contest late on, and the loser of this meeting at BC Place will face a daunting final group game where they will need a result to keep their hopes of reaching the knockouts alive.
New Zealand vs Egypt preview and form guide
New Zealand return to the World Cup finals for the first time since 2010, when they drew all three group matches in South Africa without registering a win or a defeat.
Against Iran in the tournament opener, the All Whites showed real grit, twice taking the lead through Elijah Just before being pegged back, with captain Chris Wood providing the assist on both occasions.
Just, a 26-year-old winger from Motherwell, becoming the first New Zealand player to score more than one goal in a single World Cup match, and his understanding with Wood gives Darren Bazeley's side a genuine attacking outlet.
The broader form, however, is a concern, with New Zealand losing to Finland (0-2), Haiti (0-4) and England (0-1) in recent months, their sole victory coming against Chile (4-1) in March.
Bazeley, an Englishman who has coached New Zealand's age-group teams since 2011, is the first manager in history to have led a national side at all four of FIFA's men's competitions: the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cups, the Olympics and the senior World Cup.
Egypt are appearing at a fourth World Cup, following tournaments in 1934, 1990 and 2018, but have never won a match at the finals.
Against Belgium in Seattle, the Pharaohs came agonisingly close to ending that wait when Ashour opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a shot from distance, set up by Mohamed Salah on his 34th birthday.
Egypt's defensive structure held firm until the 66th minute, when Romelu Lukaku came off the bench and, just 22 seconds after entering the pitch, applied enough pressure to force the Hany own goal that brought Belgium level.
The qualifying campaign underlined the Pharaohs' solidity under Hossam Hassan: ten matches, eight wins and two draws, with 20 goals scored and only two conceded across the entire process.
Belgium managed just three shots on target in 90 minutes against Egypt, a statistic that speaks to the discipline and organisation of a team ranked 53 places above New Zealand in the FIFA standings.
New Zealand vs Egypt team news and predicted XIs
New Zealand
The most significant absence for New Zealand is midfielder Matt Garbett, the 24-year-old Peterborough United player who was ruled out of the entire tournament with a hamstring injury sustained in training before the opening match.
Logan Rogerson of Auckland FC has been called up as Garbett's replacement in the 26-man squad.
No fresh injury concerns have emerged following the Iran draw, and Bazeley is expected to name an unchanged starting eleven for this fixture.
Chris Wood, captain and the country's all-time leading scorer with 45 goals, spearheads the attack, supported by the three-man midfield line of Just, Sarpreet Singh and Callum McCowatt.
Egypt
Egypt have reported no fitness issues following the Belgium match and Hossam Hassan is expected to keep faith with the same eleven that started in Seattle.
Salah completed 90 minutes against Belgium and showed no ill effects from the hamstring problem that sidelined him for a period at Liverpool earlier in the season, having returned to action in May.
Mostafa Shobeir, the 26-year-old Al Ahly goalkeeper, was selected ahead of the more experienced Mohamed El Shenawy for the opener and is set to retain his place.
Trezeguet and Ibrahim Adel provide attacking reinforcement from the bench, while Hamza Abdelkarim, the 18-year-old Barcelona B forward, represents the youngest option in the squad.
New Zealand vs Egypt predicted lineups
Predicted New Zealand XI (4-2-3-1): Crocombe; Payne, Boxall, Surman, Cacace; Stamenic, Bell; McCowatt, Singh, Just; Wood.
Predicted Egypt XI (4-2-3-1): Shobeir; Hany, Ibrahim, Fathy, Fatouh; Lasheen, Attia; Salah, Ashour, Ziko; Marmoush.
Head-to-head: New Zealand vs Egypt
These two nations have met just three times previously, with Egypt holding a clear advantage: two wins and one draw, without ever conceding defeat.
The first two encounters came in July 1999, when the teams played back-to-back friendlies in Cairo, drawing 1-1 on 10 July before Egypt won 1-0 five days later.
Their most recent meeting took place on 22 March 2024, when Egypt beat New Zealand 1-0 in the FIFA Series in Cairo, a match in which the All Whites competed but struggled to create meaningful chances against an organised Egyptian defence.
The sample size is small and the squads involved are largely different from those who will take the pitch in Vancouver, so the head-to-head record serves more as background context than a reliable predictor.
Our New Zealand vs Egypt prediction and tips
- Egypt completed 330 of 413 passes against Belgium with 38% possession, demonstrating efficiency on the counter
- New Zealand conceded 17 shots from Iran, ten of which came from inside the penalty area
- The Pharaohs kept seven clean sheets in ten qualifying matches, conceding only twice
- Salah is the all-time leading scorer in CAF World Cup qualifying with 20 goals across all cycles
- Egypt finished their qualifying group five points clear of second-placed Burkina Faso
NetBet price Egypt at around 1.62 for this fixture, reflecting the market's confidence in the Pharaohs against the lowest-ranked team in the tournament. For a full breakdown of their World Cup football markets, see our NetBet review.
For more tips and odds across the group stage, visit our TNT Sports betting hub.
Matthew has been working as a freelance sports reporter since 2025, having previously spent six years with Reach PLC where he primarily worked for the Mirror. He specialises in covering football and cricket.