Rafael admits Egypt fightback had Brazil worried
The Manchester United full-back acknowledged the Pharaohs gave the Selecao a scare, and was relieved to hold out on a 'dream' night which saw him net his first international goal
The Manchester United right-back opened the scoring for the Selecao with a superbly-taken effort on 16 minutes, and further strikes from Leandro Damiao and Neymar before the break put the favourites in control.
But Egypt came out fighting after the interval, with goals from Mohamed Abou-Trika and Mohamed Salah setting up a tense finish, and afterwards Rafael revealed he and his team-mates were relieved to hold on.
"In the first half we showed our quality," he told reporters. "We played great football and created many chances.
"When they scored the first goal in the second half we jumped a little bit, but we got the result in the end."
The match carried greater significance for Rafael himself, capping an all-action display with a goal on his first competitive appearance for his country, and the 22-year-old was overjoyed with his performance.
"To get my first goal in my first official game for Brazil is a dream," he added. "I’m so happy.
"It’s great to be here, because in Brazil the Olympics are very important. It’s the only title we don’t have, so we take it very seriously."
