Three minutes was all it took to silence the doubters. On the artificial turf that caused such alarm and cost the Egypt national team his services, Mohamed Salah turned up as captain and star, making an early mark in Finland to put Trabzonspor ahead at the start of their European campaign.
Towering Nigerian forward Paul Onuachu opened the scoring against Finland's KuPS in the first round of the UEFA Conference League, with the match currently under way.
The goal arrived in the third minute. Salah orchestrated a superb passage of play and threaded a magical pass that sent Onuachu through one-on-one with the goal, and the striker wasted no time rolling it into the net.
Tampere's Tammelan Stadium is hosting the encounter, a venue that has sparked widespread controversy in recent days because of its artificial surface.
Salah's assist was not the only surprise. Before kick-off he wore the Trabzonspor captain's armband for the first time, a clear message of confidence from the coaching staff.
That came despite all the doubts over his willingness to play on the "artificial turf" pitch, the direct reason for his omission from the Egypt squad for the match against South Sudan over fears of injury.