Egypt booked their place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time in Dallas.

The Pharaohs held their nerve in the shoot-out, with captain Mohamed Salah converting his penalty, while Australia’s Harry Souttar and Lucas Herrington both failed to convert, handing Egypt a deserved victory.

Australia came close to taking an early lead when Cristian Volpato’s effort clipped the crossbar, but Egypt gradually assumed control and broke the deadlock before half-time through Emam Ashour, who headed home to give his side a 1-0 advantage.

Egypt had a chance to extend their lead shortly after the restart, but Omar Marmoush was unable to make the most of the opportunity.

Australia eventually levelled the contest when defender Mohamed Hany inadvertently turned the ball into his own net, setting up a tense finish.

Egypt nearly secured victory deep into stoppage time, but Australian goalkeeper Patrick Beach produced an excellent save to deny Ramy Rabia in the 94th minute, forcing the match into extra time.

Salah became increasingly influential during the additional 30 minutes, but neither side could find a winner, sending the tie to a penalty shoot-out.

Australia introduced experienced goalkeeper Mat Ryan in the 119th minute in a tactical substitution, replacing Beach in the hope of gaining an advantage during the shoot-out. However, Ryan was unable to keep out any of Egypt’s spot-kicks, including a composed chipped effort from Salah.

With Souttar and Herrington both missing from the spot, Egypt secured a 4-2 penalty victory to advance to the knockout stage.

The North Africans will now face either Argentina or Cape Verde in the Round of 16 as they continue their quest for World Cup glory.