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This article is by Egyptian journalist and sports critic Ezz El-Din Al-Kalawi, and the views expressed below are his own and do not necessarily reflect the views of CNN.

(CNN)-- Egyptian football added a new golden page to the annals of world football on Friday, when it qualified for the first time in history for the round of 16 of the World Cup after defeating Australia 4-2 on penalties, following a 1-1 draw in regular and extra time of their round of 32 match.

This Egyptian achievement adds to a number of other milestones, including being the first to participate in the history of the football competition in the Olympic Games in 1920, at the Antwerp Olympics in Belgium, as the first Arab and African country to take part.

Egypt also preceded all Arab and African countries in achieving an advanced position, finishing fourth in the Amsterdam 1928 Olympics, and repeated the same feat twice more in the Tokyo 1964 and Paris 2024 Olympics.

The Egyptians also achieved historical precedence over any Arab or African country by participating in the second edition of the World Cup in 1934, where they lost 4-2 to Hungary and were eliminated in the first round.

On the Arab and African level, Egyptian football has golden pages at both club and national team levels, including being the most successful in the Africa Cup of Nations with seven titles, and the most successful in African club competitions with 40 titles in the Champions League, Super Cup, Cup Winners' Cup, and Confederation Cup.

Beyond Egyptian football's historical achievements, the historic win and qualification to the round of 16 sparked massive celebrations worldwide among Egyptian diaspora, and in Egyptian cities and villages, where tens of millions joined in celebrations, dancing, chants, songs, and street marches immediately after the final whistle, lasting until dawn, a rare phenomenon likely to continue until the round of 16 match.