Belgium came from behind to claim a 1-1 draw with Egypt in their World Cup opener in Seattle, with Rudi Garcia highlighting his squad’s depth and mentality after Romelu Lukaku’s introduction helped force a second-half own goal from Mohamed Hany.

Emam Ashour’s powerful finish in the 20th minute put Egypt ahead with the first shot on target, and Belgium’s winless run at World Cups stretched to three matches, but Garcia stressed the value of the response against a disciplined and ambitious opponent.

Belgium, drawn in Group G, avoided defeat despite that early setback, and equalised midway through the second half when Hany diverted the ball into his own net under pressure from Lukaku, who had only recently entered the match from the bench.

This stalemate means Belgium have gone three World Cup games without victory, with two draws and one defeat, matching their total number of winless fixtures from the previous 15 World Cup matches, where they recorded 12 wins and three losses.

Garcia acknowledged the difficulty of such a start to the tournament and underlined how dangerous Egypt can be once ahead, especially when able to protect a lead with a compact shape and quick counters after striking with that first accurate attempt on goal.

“The opening match of a competition like the World Cup is always a tough one, especially against one of Africas top teams like Egypt,” he said. “They scored with their first shot on target, and against a side like that, you can’t afford to let them get in front, because it only reinforces the way they want to play.”

Garcia drew encouragement from Belgium’s perseverance and from the influence of substitutes, stressing that Lukaku’s role in the equaliser underlined the collective nature of the group, even though several clear chances were denied by strong goalkeeping from Egypt.

“The important thing is that we stayed in the game. We managed to equalise thanks to a player who came off the bench, which shows just how important the whole squad is. We had chances to win it, but their goalkeeper made some outstanding saves. It was a great game between two very good teams.”

Belgium vs Egypt World Cup: Egypt’s record and Abdelkarim’s milestone

For Egypt, the draw extended a long wait for a first World Cup victory, with the Pharaohs now eight games without a win at the finals, comprising three draws and five defeats, while only Honduras have played more World Cup matches without tasting success.

There was, however, a historic note for Egypt when Hamza Abdelkarim replaced Mohamed Salah and, at 18 years and 165 days, became the youngest player to represent the Pharaohs at a World Cup, adding a positive milestone to an otherwise frustrating result.

Abdelkarim felt the performance reflected full commitment from the squad and stressed that the team continues to treat every group fixture as a must-win occasion, while also appreciating the support inside Seattle Stadium and looking ahead to building on this opening display.

“It was a good game for the whole team,” he told BBC Sport.The whole team wanted the three points. We got one point in the end, but we gave it our all. We know Belgium are a good team, [they have] good quality players, but we can’t say it was the hardest game or easiest game, as every game for us has got to be three points. The whole atmosphere was great, we need to thank them, and we’re waiting for the next match and an even better atmosphere.

Both sides therefore left Seattle with a point, Belgium ruing missed chances yet encouraged by resilience, and Egypt balancing an historic debut and disciplined display against the ongoing search for a first World Cup win ahead of their remaining Group G fixtures.