New Zealand head coach hopes team can show cutting edge against Egypt

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/new-zealand/rLctHkpU/"]New Zealand[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/egypt/bejDn7NN/"]Egypt[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/egypt-bejDn7NN/new-zealand-rLctHkpU/?mid=QeaikheU"]meet at BC Place in Vancouver[/a] with one point ‌apiece after opening-round draws, leaving Group G finely poised and raising ‌the stakes for a result that could boost their chances of reaching the ‌knockout stage.[/p][p]Making their third appearance at the finals, New Zealand were ‌twice pegged back by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/iran/xrRx85iA/"]Iran[/a] in an entertaining clash in California, while Egypt held [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/belgium/GbB957na/"]Belgium[/a] to a 1-1 draw in Seattle.[/p][p]"[b]A lot of positives,[/b]" Bazeley told reporters.[/p][p]"[b]You come ‌away disappointed that you haven't won the game, ⁠but for us to go and ‌perform to that level, potentially one of our best performances for a long time ​and to do that at the World Cup in our opening game was... Credit to the players. They really did go ​out and show the world who we are and who we can be as a team.[/b][/p][p]"[b]In possession, can we be more clinical, more ruthless, ⁠more creative? So we need ​to keep progressing every time we get together. But first, we need to get to the level of the game similar to what we did in the Iran game[/b]."[/p][embed guid="3adb4927-af3c-4cf7-9075-ff641691e547" url="https://x.com/HarJournalist/status/2068448405354168344?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Egypt have firepower in attack, led by captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mohamed ‌Salah[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/marmoush-omar/44pYRYIC/"]Omar Marmoush[/a].[/p][p]Salah, 34, scored nine goals in their qualifying campaign and assisted [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ashour-emam/fuSVhCZ5/"]Emam Ashour[/a] against Belgium.[/p][p]"[b]Salah is a world-class player. He's a threat[/b]," the Englishman said.[/p][p]"[b]Maybe he probably hadn't had the game that he wanted to in the last game, but he's here to go and perform at a World Cup, as all the big stars are. So I'm sure he'll be ready to go and put his mark on this World Cup.[/b][/p][p]"[b]He's one of the good players that Egypt have in the ‌attacking areas, and we're going to have to deal with a number ​of them. So I think if we try and overload somewhere, ‌we could get caught somewhere else. So I think the key for us is defending as a group...[/b]"[/p][p]Both sides are chasing a first World Cup win.[/p][p]"[b]It would be massive for New Zealand to get that win. It would be history. So that's something this group ⁠of players have been talking ⁠about trying to do for ‌three or four years now,[/b]" Bazeley added.[/p]