EKATERINBURG: Aged coach Oscar Washington Tabarez forgot about his crutches as he stood up off the bench to celebrate the late goal which set twice-winners Uruguay off to a victorious start over Egypt in their latest World campaign in eastern Russia.

The Celeste commanded most of the possession against an Egyptian side missing superstar forward Mohamed Salah and were ultimately rewarded shortly before the end when centre-back Jose Gimenez headed home a right-wing free kick.

The Pharoaohs had appeared lively from time on time on the counter-attack but had lacked the penetration or precision to raise any sustained threat to veteran Uruguay keeper Fernando Muslera.

Uruguay thus seized second place in Group A, level with Russia on points albeit trailing on goal difference. The hosts had launched the finals on Thursday with a 5-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia.

Egypt coach Hector Cuper had said before the Egyptians’ first appearance in the finals for 20 years that Liverpool forward Salah was “100pc” fit after recovering from the shoulder injury he had suffered in his club’s Champions League Final defeat by Real Madrid last month.

However Salah remained on the substitutes’ bench for the entirety of the match, suggesting that Cuper had decided to save him from rugged  physical attention from Uruguay with two remaining matches in Group A.

Uruguay could have sewn up the three points much earlier had Barcelona’s Luis Suarez been on form. However Suarez, playing his first World Cup-tie since being suspended for biting at the 2014 finals, missed two clear chances in the first half and was too slow when put clean through in the second.

Paris Saint-Germain centre-forward Edinson Cavani also missed a couple of opportunities saved and hit the post with the score still goalless late in the second half from a free kick.

Moments later, in the 89th minute, Atletico Madrid’s Gimenez rose at the far post to head home a right-wing free kick from substitute Carlos Sanchez. It was Gimenez’s second goal in successive appearances after his strike in the World Cup warm-up against Uzbekistan.

Uruguay coach Tabarez, back in the role after illness at the age of 71, forgot the crutch on which he had leaned in arriving in the stadium as he took to his feet in his delight.

He had achieved a small slice of history of his own in becoming only the became the fifth manager to take charge of the same country at four different World Cup finals (1990, 2010, 2014 and 2018), after Sir Walter Winterbottom (England), Josef Herberger (Germany), Helmut Schon (Germany) and Lajos Baroti (Hungary).

Only one South American has managed more finals games than Tabarez (16) – Brazil’s Mario Zagallo (20).

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