Uruguay 1 Egypt 0: Jose Gimenez heads home late winner as Mohamed Salah stays on bench

VETERAN coach Oscar Tabarez said Uruguay ‘broke the spell’ after they left it late to defeat an Egypt side shorn of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah 1-0 in their World Cup opener.

Jose Gimenez’s header proved the difference maker.

VETERAN coach Oscar Tabarez said Uruguay “broke the spell” after they left it late to defeat an Egypt side shorn of Mohamed Salah 1-0 in their World Cup opener.

Defender Jose Gimenez was the unlikely 89th-minute match winner for Tabarez’s men, who also struck a post late on through Edinson Cavani.

Uruguay’s deserved last-gasp victory leaves them and Russia in early control in Group A after the hosts’ 5-0 mauling of Saudi Arabia in the tournament opener.

Jose Gimenez’s header proved the difference maker.

But it also stops the rot for Uruguay in World Cup opening games - the South Americans had not won their first match in the tournament since 1970.

A poor contest looked likely to end in stalemate but with Uruguay cranking up the pressure late on, Atletico Madrid’s Gimenez rose to power a header into the top corner and break Egypt hearts.

Aside from Liverpool ace Salah failing to get off the bench with his shoulder injury, another major talking point was also off the pitch - large portions of empty seats in one main stand at the Yekaterinburg Arena were an embarrassing sight for FIFA and local organisers.

That was of no concern to Tabarez, the 71-year-old known back in Uruguay simply as “Maestro”.

Mohamed Salah wasn’t called upon by Egypt.

“When the players came back from the (pre-game) warm-up normally we have a chat and we said to them, ‘All of Uruguay wants the same as us - to win this match, but you are the only ones who can make that happen.’

“This is football and in terms of history, we broke the spell.

“We either die or we are killed. We need to keep fighting to progress. This victory will help but we can’t make too much of it.”

With Egypt coach Hector Cuper saying on the eve of the clash that Salah had recovered from the injury sustained three weeks ago in the Champions League final, Egyptians will be desperately hoping their talisman is back for the game with Russia, now a must-win.

Edinson Cavani celebrates Uruguay’s late escape.

Cuper said after the match that he expects Salah to feature against the hosts and, on this evidence, they badly need him.

“He did not play today because we wanted to avoid risk or danger but I think that he will be fine for the next match,” said the coach.

“Yesterday we were quite certain that he would play. At the end of training he was examined in depth and there was some doubt if he fell or was hit by another player.”

Originally published as Uruguay 1 Egypt 0: Jose Gimenez heads home late winner as Mohamed Salah stays on bench