The 2018 Fifa World Cup kicked off in an impressive way at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium in Russia. Hosts Russia overcame their recent poor run to score five goals against Saudi Arabia in the tournament opener. This was Russia's biggest win since 1934. The electrifying opener is seen as a trailer of the excitement we can expect from the tournament.
Egypt vs Uruguay: The second game of the tournament is set to bring some real action. The South American heavyweight, Uruguay has strikers like Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez, while the Pharaohs have Mohamed Salah. Mo Salah turns 26 today and fans are expecting a gift of appearence from Mo Salah. Both Uruguay and Egypt will aim to get their campaign off to a good start when they meet in a Group A clash at Russia's Ekaterinburg Arena on Friday. A positive result will mean a lot to Egypt as this will be the team's first FIFA World Cup appearance in 28 years.
The biggest cause for Egypt's concern has been the form of star forward Mohammed Salah. The onus will be on coach Hector Cúper if he decides to play him.
Salah had injured his shoulder while representing Liverpool in the Champions League final against Real Madrid, which had thrown his World Cup participation into jeopardy.
Going by the quality and World Cup pedigree of the two teams, Egypt are expected to face a tough battle when they step out for their first World Cup match since 1990.
On the other hand, two-time champions Uruguay will appear in their third consecutive World Cup. They were impressive at the 2010 World Cup, where they finished fourth. That was the first time they had reached the quarter-finals since the 1970 edition.
Uruguay played some good football at the 2014 World Cup, though they were eliminated in the second round after a 0-2 loss to fellow South Americans Colombia, Before that, Uruguay had created a splash during the group stages with back-to-back wins over England and Italy.
Importantly, this will be the third consecutive World Cup appearance for Uruguay's star players like Luis Suarez, Edinson Cavani and Diego Godin. That experience should hold the team in good stead.
Watch out for these players:
- Uruguay: The 31-year old Barcelona striker is craving redemption after his misadventures in 2014 World Cup. Suarez scored 25 goals in 33 appearances for Barcelona in La Liga. Known for his infamous antics he is a force to be reckon with.
Diego Godin - Uruguay: The Uruguayan skipper is most experienced among the squad. He has 117 appearances for the national side. Godin's will spearhead Uruguyan defence.
Mohamed Salah - Egypt: After stunning season with Liverpool, Salah's penalty guaranteed Egyptians a flight to Russia. According to reports, Salah is all set to feature against Uruguay in the first match of the campaign.
Edinson Cavani - Uruguay: The PSG striker has scored 40 goals in 2017/18. The 31-year-old was highest scorer in World Cup qualifiers.
Essam El Hadary - Egypt: El Hadary's is the oldest player to feature in the history of the tournament. At 45, Egypt's captain is expected to be one of the key figures as the country appears for World Cup in 28 long years.
23 man squad:
Egypt:
Goalkeepers: Sherif Ekramy (Al Ahly), Essam El Hadary (Al Taawoun), Mohamed El Shennawy (Al Ahly).
Defenders: Mohamed Abdel-Shafi (Al Fateh), Ayman Ashraf (Al Ahly), Ahmed Elmohamady (Aston Villa), Ahmed Fathi (Al Ahly), Omar Gaber (Los Angeles FC), Ali Gabr (Zamalek), Mahmoud Hamdy (Zamalek), Ahmed Hegazi (West Bromwich Albion), Saad Samir (Al Ahly).
Midfielders: Mohamed Elneny (Arsenal), Abdallah El Said (Al Ahly Jeddah), Tarek Hamed (Zamalek), Mahmoud Kahraba (Al Ittihad Jeddah), Sam Morsy (Wigan Athletic), Shikabala (Al Raed), Ramadan Sobhi (Stoke City), Mahmoud Hassan (Kasimpasa), Amr Warda (Atromitos).
Forwards: Marwan Mohsen (Al Ahly), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
Uruguay squad:
Goalkeepers: Martin Campana (Independiente), Fernando Muslera (Galatasaray), Martin Silva (Vasco da Gama).
Defenders: Martin Caceres (Lazio), Sebastian Coates (Sporting), Jose Maria Gimenez (Atletico Madrid), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Maximiliano Pereira (Porto), Gaston Silva (Independiente), Guillermo Varela (Penarol).
Midfielders: Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Cruzeiro), Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus), Diego Laxalt (Genoa), Nahitan Nandez (Boca Juniors), Cristian Rodriguez (Penarol), Carlos Sanchez (Monterrey), Lucas Torreira (Sampdoria), Matias Vecino (Inter).
Forwards: Edinson Cavani (Paris Saint-Germain), Maximiliano Gomez (Celta Vigo), Luis Suarez (Barcelona), Cristhian Stuani (Girona), Jonathan Urretaviscaya (Monterrey).
Where to watch:
The matche will be telecasted live in English on SONY TEN 2, in Hindi on SONY TEN 3 and in Bengali, Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu on SONY ESPN.
Time: 5.30 PM IST