IN Ekaterinburg, the eastern-most venue to be used in this World Cup, a far from sellout crowd of 27,015 witnessed two-time World Champions Uruguay score an 89th-minute winner today against an Egyptian side lacking their talisman Mo Salah.

Salah was deemed not fit enough to play and watched the match from the substitutes’ bench.

Egypt were well-organised in defence, playing an extra man in midfield, and starved service to Uruguay’s much-vaunted strike partnership of Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, with their defensive midfield shield of Tarek Hamed and Mohamed Elneny impressing.