The pre-match story
Where Pharaohs Meet the Southern Cross
In Vancouver's glass-and-steel cathedral, two nations separated by continents and histories collide in Group G. New Zealand arrives bearing the strange dignity of the unbeaten loser—three draws at 2010, advancement denied by mathematics alone. Egypt brings the weight of pioneering: first African nation at a World Cup, back in 1934. Both carry the burden of never advancing past the group stage.