As it happened: Egypt 0 Uruguay 1

  • Jose Giménez scores after 89 minutes in Yekaterinburg
  • Mohamed Salah left on the bench for Egypt

REACTION: Jermaine Jenas: "Egypt were strong in the early stages but they lacked creativity."

Gary Lineker. "It was a valiant effort from Egypt. They held on for so long."

Phil Neville: "That was a cruel, cruel blow at the end for Egypt. The goalkeeper had a fantastic game but Uruguay had the best chances. They probably should have won by two or three."

Matthew Upson: "To lose a point through a set-piece will be so disappointing for Egypt."

FULL-TIME: Uruguay have their first opening game World Cup win since 1970 after Jose Giménez scores a brilliant header late on

4.52pm: Martin Keown on the unused Mohamed Salah: 'If he's been fit to train then what have you got to lose? He's not been allowed to come to the party."

4.49pm: GOAL! Heartbreak for Egypt as Jose Giménez comes up from the back and rises highest to thump home a header. What a time to score for Uruguay. That should win it for them.

4.48pm: CLOSE! Edison Cavani strikes the inside of the post with a free-kick. Boy, that was a close call for Egypt.

4.44pm: El-Shenawy, the Egypt keeper, has just made the save of the match to deny Cavani. "That's an excellent save," said Keown.

4.42pm: There will definitely be no Mohamed Salah this afternoon as Hector Cuper has just made his final sub and used it to bring on Ramadan Sobhi. "Salah clearly can't be fit," said BBC Sport pundit Martin Kewon.

4.34pm: You do have to wonder how fit Mohamed Salah actually is because if he was anywhere near ready and up to speed, coach Hector Cuper would surely have thrown him on in this one. The game is crying out for his brilliance.

4.33pm: Fathy goes closest for Egypt with a shot after he surged forward from defence. "It's wonderful strike, so clean," said BBC Sport pundit Martin Keown. 

4.29pm: Will Mohamed Salah be called on to break the deadlock with 20 minutes remaining here?

4.26pm: A good game here, against Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani, really will put Egypt defender Ahmed Hegazi in the shop window. He was relegated from the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion, but there should be plenty of takers for him.

4.35pm: "This game has been poor and after what Russia did last night, they'll believe they can beat these two sides, too," said Martin Keown.

4.23pm: Egypt have made their second substitution, bringing on Kahraba for Mohsen, so that means there is now only one more chance for Hector Cuper to bring on Mohamed Salah.

4.19pm: "This game just hasn't got going," said former England defender Martin Keown.

4.14pm: Egypt have done well to keep Edison Cavani quiet so far. He has only had 17 touches so far, the fewest of any Uruguay player in the first half.

4.10pm: Egypt do make a change but it's not Mohamed Salah coming on. Sam Morsy is the man picked to replace the injured Tarek Hamed. He should be on the crest of a wave after helping Wolverhampton Wanderers gain promotion to the Premier League.

4.08pm: Tarek Hamed looks like he's going to have to come off because of injury. "He's very important to them," said former England defender Martin Keown.

4.05pm: And we are back underway. Mohamed Salah remains on the bench.

4pm: We like this...

3.54pm: "It's shocking," said former England defender Matthew Upson on the dive by the Egypt forward Abdallah El-Said. "I can't believe El-Said hasn't been given a yellow card. It is such a glaring dive."

3.52pm: The question for Egypt coach Hector Cuper now is when and if does he risk Mohamed Salah in the second half? Or does he keep him for easier games against Russia and Saudi Arabia.

3.51pm: "Egypt will be the happier of the two sides," said former England striker Gary Lineker. "A draw will suit them massively."

3.45pm: And that's half-time. Egypt will be happy to go into the dressing room all square after giving as good as they got against the much-fancied Uruguay. 

3.44pm: Egypt have not kicked off a World Cup with a win since they beat Israel in 1970. 

3.39pm: Marwan Mohsen is leading the line for Egypt but he is without a goal for his country since January 2017.

3.36pm: "Egypt's defeat to Belgium has done them a favor," said BBC Sport pundit Martin Keown. "They've actually started the game here much better. They are first to every ball and are winning every battle."

3.24pm: Big let off for Egypt as Luis Suarez fires into the sidenetting from less than six yards out. Could fatigue have been a factor as this represents Suarez's 59th game of the season?

3.23pm: Egypt, who are ranked 45th in the world, are certainly holding their own against 14-ranked Uruguay, enjoying 49 percent of the possesion. 

3.19pm: SNAPSHOT: Egypt midfielder Amr Warda hits the turf but he was quickly back up again.

3.18pm: "Egypt look well organised and happy in posession," said former England defender Martin Keown. 

3.16pm: A blatant dive there from Abdallah Said. He should really have been booked. 

3.15pm: Egypt are not the most prolific side. They have only scored more than one goal in a game once in their last 14 matches. 

3.10pm: These two have only met once before and that was in 2006 when Uruguay won 2-0 in Alexandria. 

3.06pm: "Egypt will be quite happy with the way they have started," said former England defender Martin Keown.

3.03pm: Egypt have got to try and find a way past Diego Godin, Uruguay's teak tough defender. "Godin is fantastic," said former England defender Phil Neville. "When we faced him in Spain I watched him warm up and he didn't look like an athlete. He couldn't run, couldn't jump. On the pitch he was an animal. "A simple no-nonsense defender, so aggressive. He sees the ball and he will go and win it, reads the game so well. He's so so key for Uruguay."

3pm: And Uruguay get us underway. This is Oscar Tabarez's 187th game in charge or Uruguay. That's some going.

2.59pm: And we're ready to go at the Yekaterinburg Arena in Yekaterinburg.

2.55pm: Luis Suarez has scored seven of Uruguay's last 13 goals. Egypt really do need to keep him quiet on his 99th appearance for his country.

2.53pm: "I would like to have seen Salah play," said former England defender Martin Keown. "He gives the team belief. I'm disappointed but I see the bigger picture."

2.46pm

2.42pm: Uruguay have a rich World Cup pedigree. They have won the World Cup twice and reached the semifinal three times. "If any country punches above its weight then it's Uruguay," said former England striker Gary Lineker. 

2.40pm:  "I think it's the right decision not to start Salah," former England midfield Jermaine Jenas told BBC Sport. "Uruguay is their toughest game. Looking at Russia and Saudi Arabia, those are the games where you'd look for Mo Salah to come back in. Uruguay are a seriously physical side, and it may be he wouldn't be able to perform at the level we know he can."

2.37pm: Egypt's last World Cup game was in 1990 when they lost 1-0 to England. There was no disgrace there as England went on to reach the semifinal. 

2.33pm: Luis Suarez will win his 99th cap for Uruguay this afternoon. He has scored 51 goals in that time which is pretty good going.

2.26pm: Uruguay come into the tournament on the back of three straight friendly wins, against Czech Republic, Wales and Uzbekistan. 

2.22pm: Egypt's squad will certianly not lack big-match experience. Their squad includes 15 foreign-based players, most notably Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Elneny, Mahmoud Trezeguet, Ramadan Sobhi, Ahmed Hegazi and Abdallah El-Said.
The eight Egypt-based players are Al-Ahly’s Sherif Ekramy, Mohamed El-Shennawy, Ayman Ashraf, Ahmed Fathi Saad Samir, Marwan Mohsen, and Zamalek’s Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh and Tarek Hamed.

2.19pm: A reminder that Essam El-Hadary is on the bench for Egypt. If the 45-year-old goalkeeper comes on, he will be the oldest player to ever play at the World Cup.

2.16pm: The Egyptian fans have descended on Yekaterinburg in their numbers are are making plenty of noise

2.13pm: Ahmed Hegazi is the linchpin of the Egypt defence, but the West Brom defender is going to have his work cut out to keep Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani quiet. They have 93 international goals between them.

2.11pm: "In terms of commitment and desire, I'm sure we are amongst the very top," said top Uruguay striker Edison Cavani pre-match

2.06pm: Uruguay XI: Muslera; Varela, Gimenez, Godin, Caceres; Nandez, Betancur, Vecino, De Arrascaeta; Cavani, Suarez.

2.05pm: Egypt XI: El-Shenawy; Fathy, Gabr, Hegazi, Shafy; Elneny, Hamed; Warda, El-Said, Trezeguet; Mohsen.

Right, we've put Saudi Arabia's thrashing at the hands of Russia behind us and are now ready for Egypt to restore some Arab pride this afternoon. You may have heard that Mohamed Salah has had a shoulder problem (where have you been if you haven't?) and Hector Cuper has decided this game comes too soon for the Egyptian star. He is named among the substitutes and it will be interesting to see if he is called on if the game is not panning out the way Cuper hopes. Join us here to see how Egypt get on without their talisman against a Uruguay side boasting Edison Cavani and Luis Suarez.