Kevin de Bruyne's Belgium huffed and puffed but failed to convert a plethora of chances, while Egypt punched above their weight in attack and defence.

The first shot in anger came from that man de Bruyne in the sixth minute, but his right-footed effort was just left of the target.

Then the Pharaohs opened up the game against the run of play. Captain and birthday boy Mohamed Salah dropped back to distribute and found Emam Ashour at the top of the box with a superb pass. Ashour's first touch set up his powerful right foot and he unleashed a thunderous strike past a diving Thibaut Courtois.

Egypt nearly had a second when Marwan Attia decided to unleash from a tight angle, but crucially, Courtois got enough on the ball with his right glove to push it wide. Minutes later, a promising attacking passage from Belgium saw Leandro Trossard miscue not one but two shots at goal.

The Red Devils' best chance came in stoppage time of the opening half. A goalmouth scramble saw the ball land in Jeremy Doku's path, but he sliced his effort well wide. The Man City star spent much of the rest of the tie on the grass appealing for decisions.

In the second stanza, Belgium turned up the pace and intensity. It resulted in a free kick from 22m out that was primed for de Bruyne's skill. The midfield maestro beat the wall and the goalkeeper, but not the right-hand post.

A lapse in concentration by the Belgian defence saw Salah leap highest to head the ball goalward, only to be denied by Courtois, and Ashour's follow-up strike was so poor it went out for a throw-in.

Belgium then had two more chances in two minutes. Captain Youri Tielemans had Egypt gloveman Mostafa Shobeir hopping with a volley that went wide, then de Bruyne was unmarked on the penalty spot but a weak shot was fielded easily by Shobeir, and Egypt survived.

In case of emergency, break glass, and behind that glass is Romelu Lukaku. And that's what coach Rudi Garcia did for Belgium and it had an immediate impact. Lukaku lunged at a dangerous cross and defender Mohamed Hany had little choice but to compete and he unfortunately toed the ball into the back of his own net in the 66th minute.

Shobeir then kept Egypt in the contest with a brilliant diving save to his left after centre back Brandon Mechele glanced a header to the far post.

Lukaku was in the mix again near stoppage time as he found himself in space between two defenders, but his header would sail over the crossbar.

Egypt did not go into their shell in the dying embers, throwing players forward in vain as time ran out.

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